Clocks

“Clocks” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Oya Caliskan, Hedef College, Turkey.

Clocks

"Dear, you shouldn't be scared." The woman looked at her little daughter. "It's just a surgery." The litter girl looked at her mother. There were dread in her eyes.

"What if I feel pain?" She started to weep, opened up her arms and her mother cuddled her.

"You won't, Claudia."

"Are you ready, Claudia?"

Claudia looked at the door. That was her doctor. She nodded and went to her doctor.

They were walking in the hospital corridor silently. When they entered a room, Claudia was frightened.

The walls of the room were white. There was a bed -she thought it was a bed- and a large table. The table was full of weird appliances. There were four other men beside Claudia's doctor and they were dressed just like him.

The doctor embraced Claudia and released her on the bed.

She looked at the doctor. He was holding something like a mask.

"I want you to wear it. Can you wear it for me?" He said and Claudia nodded.

The mask was smelling strange. She wanted to... Sleep. Her eyelids were half open, her breathing slowed down. Finally, she slept.

***

Lillian was bored. The teacher was speaking very slowly and half of the students weren't even listening to him.

Lillian looked at the clock. It was Quarter past one.

"When will he speed up?" She whispered to her friend.

"Never." Her friend's answer was the truth.

The school bell rang. Lillian looked at the clock. She was surprised.

It was half past three. The school was over.

Lillian put her pencilcase to her bag and closed it. After she left the class, one of her friends came.

"Hey, Lily. Why don't we go to my house?"

"This is a great idea Nicola but you know I must finish the book the English teacher gave me. Maybe tomorrow." She answered. She really wanted to go with Nicola, but she must finish her book too.

"Poor you, I've finished the book already. See you tomorrow."

"See you."

Finally she arrived the house, threw her bag to the corner and went her room to read the book.

She opened the book, but there was something wrong. She couldn't read the book, but she knew what was written. She tried to read the words again but she couldn't read.

She was alarmed. She tried to read over and over again but the words were blurred.

She tried to relax herself. Maybe I was just dreaming, she thought. She looked at her clock. Five past five. She closed her eyes for ten seconds and looked at the clock again. Ten to seven.

I am dreaming, she thouht. I can wake up, I can wake up...

***

Claudia tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were very heavy. There wasn't a strange smell at all.

"Mr. Gibbs, she's awake." Claudia was hearing some hurried footsteps and some strange noises, but they were blurred too.

"Then make her sleep, Clay."

Claudia tried to open her eyes again but the strange smell came again and she slept.

***

"Lillian, how was your day?" Lillian looked at her mom.

"It was good. What about you?" She answered, went to their kitchen's window and started to look away.

"It was good. Did you finish your book?" Lillian's mom answered.

"No, I didn't." Said Lillian and went to her room. She must get dressed because she was going to her friend's, Lisa's house. Actually, Lillian hadn't been in Lisa's house before, so she would try to find Lisa's house.

She got dressed, checked Lisa's adress, said goodbye to her mom and left the house.

She started to walk to Lisa's house. She turned left and turned right. Then, she checked the address again and looked at the house. She arrived. But, why were all the other houses blurred?

Lillian didn't go to Lisa's house, she was intrigued. She kept walking because she wanted to see other houses. Was the fog made all the thing blurry? What was this light?

She continued walking.

***

"Claudia, you're awake!" Claudia's mom screamed. Claudia looked at her mom and laughed. When Claudia was drinking water, her doctor came.

"Get well soon, Claudia. You are so brave." Claudia thanked and looked the clock. It was five o'clock. she closed her eyes for five seconds and looked at the clock again. It was still five o'clock.

She wasn't dreaming