Horrid 25. The Clock That Ticks Backwards to Your Birth

It’s a grandfather clock with no face, only a single, obsidian needle that moves counter-clockwise. I found it in the hallway of the new house. Every time it chimes, I feel a strange, hollow sensation in my gut. Yesterday, I noticed my wedding ring was loose. This morning, it fell off.

I looked in the mirror and the crow's feet around my eyes were gone. I was getting younger. Most would call it a miracle; I call it a countdown. I’m shrinking. My clothes are becoming tents of denim and wool. The clock is ticking faster now, a frantic tock-tick, tock-tick. I realize with a jolt of pure terror what happens when the needle hits the bottom. I won't just be a child; I’ll be an idea. I’ll be a memory. I’ll be a wet, screaming thing that eventually disappears back into the void. The clock is chiming now. I can’t reach the door handle anymore.