The Clock That Ran Backwards

The rain fell soft on the small town. It was late at night. In a quiet street there was an old shop. The sign said: "Reyes — Clocks and Repairs."

Inside, Tomas Reyes worked alone. He was an old man with gray hair and thin hands. He had fixed clocks for forty years. He loved the sound of time. Tick, tick, tick. To him, it was like music.

Tonight he had a strange job. A tall, dark clock stood on his table. A stranger had left it that morning. The stranger did not give a name. He only said, "It is broken. Make it run again." Then he walked away into the rain.