The Curse of the Crooked clock

Once again Joanna ended up at the library among the antique and dusty books. Exams were over and Joanna wanted to have fun, but as her buddy Mark had been for vacations, she got too bored until her parents suggested her to try the library. And now within some days she was so addicted to the books that she skipped the idea of staying home for a longer period of time.

“Joanna, at least come for the lunch” her mother requested her one such day. “Mom! Cant you send it here please, we are just blocks apart” Joanna suggested. She dint liked the idea of being interrupted when she was reading a good novel. This morning she had began with ‘the Curse of the crooked clock’ by anonymous. The book was an antique and the author’s name was not mentioned. Right now, she was reading the first chapter that mentioned about a girl who has entered an antique place and had seen a crooked clock hanging on a wall whose arrows at striking 12 used to tremble and the environment next to her started blurring and she founded herself in a dark alley with only a pen-torch with her.

The phone rang again,” hello, Oh mom! Yes! Ok! But why? Yes m coming!” she muttered to her mother and then hung up. She placed the book on the table and walked home. Reaching home she got so shocked and excited that she could barely think about the book or the library. Her best buddy Mike had come from his vacations and had brought her a lot of sweets and chocolates including a pen-torch.” I got it on the plane back”. Take it I don’t need it” mike said while handling her. ”yea thanks” she cried with excitement. For the next 3 days, she was one of the busiest and happiest people on Earth. Mike and Joanna used to play the whole day.

One night it so happened that she went through her jeans for placing it into the laundry and found the pen torch .She kept it on the bed and went off for dinner. Late that night she switched the lights off and went to sleep. As she was lying on her bad, she took the pen torch and switched its light on. A golden light lit on. She directed it towards the ceiling and saw a shape being formed. At first she dint recognize it and then she saw the face of the same girl who was there in the cover page of the book ‘The curse of the crooked clock’. To her horror letters started forming and then a sentence.

                              “Save me Joanna, return to the library

                                    Save me from the crooked clock”

The words were still for a moment and then disappeared leaving behind only a golden light. Joanna rubbed her eyes hoping that it was a simple nightmare but realized that it was true.

Next day, with the memory clear in her head, she rushed for breakfast, got dressed up and went off to the library with the pen-torch hanging from her pocket. Reaching there she saw everything at place which she was not expecting to be. The clock was far away to the hall but it was perfectly rounded, not at all crooked. “Weird magic”, Joanna muttered to herself while searching the book which she had placed days back on the table. But unfortunately the book was not present there. She further searched every possible place where the book could be, still no success. At last she decided to inspect the place where the clock was hanging. She went towards the clock and found and small and thin pathway, with dull lights hanging from above. ‘Should I go in there?” she thought to herself. There was no door at the beginning of pathway, so getting trapped was impossible. She glanced at the clock and once again and something caught her eyes. On a near shelf, a lot of dusty books were kept. But among the dusty books was a red jacketed one kept and she realized that it was the same mysterious book ‘The Curse of the Crooked Clock’. She rushed to ward the shelf and picked it up. “Yes! It is the same book”, she exclaimed. She was not only excited but a little part of her was scared about what will happen next.

After a moment she skipped the idea of examining the pathway. Rather she considered reading the book further, as she was getting mad to know about what was going to happen next. As soon as she went towards her favorite place to read, she opened the book to the second chapter and continued reading.

I was curious to know what was happening, I had never seen this dark alley before, and it was weird in its own way. I fought with my fears and decided to go inside. I took my first step and then finally I found myself walking. The light from the opening behind me was gradually fading and after a few minutes I found myself in a dimmed lighted black alley. “Anyone there”, I murmured shivering as it started becoming cold. The temperature was dropping with every step I was taking. After a while my eyes caught a hint of a yellow light far away. I rushed towards it and found myself on a street. I saw people in black coats. It was cold, really cold. And it was the coldest time of the day. It was evening 7 or 8. I could guess by the absence of stars in the sky above.

“Excuse me Ma’am”, a young voice asked me from behind. At first I flinched and then turned around to see a young boy nearly of 11 or 12, his eyes were of a crimson color and his hair were a shade of golden. Looking at his features, he seemed to be English. So I was in a British country I guessed. Judging his clothes, he seemed to be belonging to a middle class family, maybe a farmer’s son. “Yes?” I asked. “It is so cold and you are without a sweater or a coat. I saw you just appeared from somewhere, as if you were invisible and then suddenly you became visible. Are you the goddess of heaven?” he asked, while I was so shocked at the answer he wanted of. “Oh! No! I’m not the goddess