**
Test of Time
Today is tomorrow’s yesterday. Don’t believe it.
–Harry Finkle
Robert stood on the chair to be eye level with the clock. He touched the clock with one finger, then pulled it away. Will this work? he wondered. Can I get past all of these bad things?
Robert got a determined look on his face. “It has to work,” he whispered. “It just has to! There’s no other way.”
Robert reached for the clock again. He lightly placed a finger on the large minute hand and turned it forward slowly. Then he let go.
Robert didn’t feel any different. He looked around the hourglass room. Everything seems the same, he thought.
Robert put his finger on the large minute hand once more, and turned it and turned it and turned it. Finally, he let go.
“Everything still looks the same,” he said, with great frustration in his voice.
Robert stepped down from the chair, left the hourglass room and walked into the shop. It was empty. He glanced out the large window and noticed that the sun had gone down. He wondered how long he’d been crying.
Robert returned to the hourglass room and stood back on the chair. This time he reached for the clock’s smaller hour hand. He turned it slowly, then a little faster, and then faster and faster. Robert kept turning the hand, but he still didn’t feel any different.
“It has to work!” Robert whispered. He continued to turn the clock hand forward, round and round and round. Nothing noticeable happened.
Robert felt a dull pang of disappointment in the pit of his stomach. “I guess you don’t control time after all,” he said to the clock.
Carelessly, Robert continued to turn the hour hand over and over and over while he tried to figure things out. “I’ll have to tell Jack and Lizzy they were all wrong about you. But wait, then they’ll be mad at me for meddling with you. I’m not even supposed to touch you. No, I won’t tell them. This will just be another secret.”
Suddenly Robert heard a noise inside the clock. It wasn’t a good noise. It sounded like a spring breaking. “Well, you’re an old clock,” Robert said. “I’m surprised you even manage to show the right time of day.” Robert finally let go of the hour hand.
All at once, both of the clock’s hands flew across the room. Several small springs, and other mechanisms from inside the clock followed them.
Robert didn’t feel so well. He touched his head. The room was spinning. He stumbled off the chair and balanced himself, holding onto the desk until the room stopped moving. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock again.
That’s strange, Robert thought. I’m not standing on the chair anymore, but I’m still at eye level with the clock.
Cautiously, Robert turned to face the hourglasses. The shelves looked as if they’d been lowered. Something definitely wasn’t right.
Robert looked around the room. It appeared to be smaller than before. How could the room have shrunk? Robert wondered.
He noticed the tiny pieces of the clock scattered about the floor. I’ve broken it! he thought. I’ll have to ask Jack to help me fix it. Great. Another reason for Lizzy and Jack to be mad at me.
Robert turned and left the room. So much for that, he thought. The clock didn’t do its job, and now it’s broken. What more could go wrong?
Robert walked into the shop. Since it was empty a few minutes ago, and it was still dark outside, he expected to be alone, but he heard a noise. How strange, he thought. Did I imagine that?
Then Robert heard it again. He peeked around one of the displays and saw a man about his father’s age moving things on the shelves.
“Can I help you?” Robert asked. He immediately noticed something else wrong. His voice sounded low. I must be coming down with a cold. He cleared his throat.
The man spun around, then smiled, “There you are, Robert. I didn’t hear you come in. I’ve been waiting for you. Can you help me with these?”
Robert took a few steps back. The man looked familiar and sounded familiar…but who was he?
Robert placed a hand on the wall to prop himself up and rubbed his forehead. He wasn’t feeling well at all.
Robert glanced at his hand. It was larger than it was supposed to be. Robert inspected it, front and back. What’s happened to my hand? he wondered with alarm.
He noticed the small mirror hanging from the wall. It was also lower than it was supposed to be.
Robert looked in the mirror…and gasped. That’s not me! he thought. It’s someone else entirely!
Robert brought both hands to the sides of his face. He turned his head slightly to the left, then to the right.
Is this really me? Robert thought. If it is, then the clock must have worked. I’m in the future! But…I’m old! I’m only 10-years-old, but the man staring back at me is ancient! This isn’t what I wanted at all!
“What’s wrong, Robert?” the familiar man asked.
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I’m just not feeling well.” Robert cleared his throat again. This will take some getting used to, he thought.
“Well, go on upstairs and rest for a while. I’ll finish up down here,” the man said, smiling.
“Jack?” Robert asked, looking the man in his eyes.
“Yes,” Jack replied.
“What happened to you?”
“What happened to me? What on earth do you mean?” Jack replied.
“You’re so…so old.”
Jack laughed. “I’m only 41-years-old. I couldn’t stay young forever. Besides, you’ve grown old with me, Robert.” He continued to laugh. “Go on upstairs and rest a while. You must be overtired.”
Robert’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped opened. If Jack is now 41-years-old, that means I’m 35-years-old! I turned the hands of the clock 25 years into the future!
“Where’s Lizzy?” Robert asked. It was the only thing he could think to say.
“You really must be tired, Robert,” Jack said, laughing again. “Lizzy is at home with her husband and children, of course.”
Husband and children? Lizzy is married and has children? Robert rubbed his temples hard.
“Who did she marry?” Robert asked. He was really curious.
“Fin,” Jack replied, concern crossing his face. “Finian Beanly. Are you sure you’re all right, Robert? Do you want me to fetch the doctor?” Jack stepped closer and placed a hand on Robert’s shoulder. “Are you having some sort of memory lapse again?”
“Again? No, no, I’m fine. I just forgot is all. It’s been a long day. So much has happened. I should rest a while. Everything will be great tomorrow, I’m sure of it.” Robert smiled a fake smile. He didn’t want Jack to think he’d lost his marbles, although he wasn’t certain that he hadn’t.
“Jack, why aren’t you married?” Robert asked. He was guessing that if Jack was married he wouldn’t be in the shop stocking the shelves at night.
Jack laughed again. “I suppose the right lady hasn’t caught my attention yet.”
“What about Miss Ginifer Sweetly?” Robert asked. “I think she likes you.” He remembered her coming into the shop wanting Jack to walk her home, but Thomas Appleton offered when Robert said he was scared to be alone.
Jack laughed again, louder this time. “She may have had an interest in me at some point, when we were young. I’m not entirely sure. But she’s married now.”
“Who did she marry? I can’t seem to remember his name. What was his name again?”
“His name is Thomas Appleton,” Jack said, and then couldn’t help frowning about it.
It was clear Jack still had feelings for Miss Ginifer. Robert decided to change the subject.
“When will Lizzy come to visit again?” Robert asked.
“Actually, she’ll be here in the morning. You should get some rest before then,” Jack said, and returned to stocking the shelves.
“Does Mr. Lowsley come around much?” Robert asked, then bit his lip. He wanted to know if Mr. Lowsley had been causing any trouble for them during the past 25 years.
“Mr. Lowsley doesn’t come around here much anymore. I’m not sure why,” Jack said. “I figured it would have been a constant struggle for us to keep our secrets from him. I imagined him lurking about with his companions since that time you let something slip about the hourglasses in front of him. But it never happened.”
Jack continued, “I’m still careful what I say around him. He’s probably forgotten all about it, but we still need to be careful. We’ve been lucky so far, but there’s no telling when our luck might run out.”
Robert wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, then gulped, but remained silent.
“When Mr. Lowsley does come into the shop, he just mumbles something under his breath. He’s become a brooding old man, and bitter at that,” Jack said.
“I’ll be off to bed now, Jack.” Robert didn’t know what else to say.
As Robert walked up the stairs, he thought, Mr. Lowsley demanded I explain about the hourglasses, and even threatened my family. I wonder if Mr. Lowsley’s bitterness came from my never telling him? And why is it that Mr. Lowsley doesn’t come around much and hasn’t caused any trouble for us?
As Robert kept climbing the stairs, he looked down at the shop. It seemed smaller than before. Everything looks smaller, he thought. Or maybe I’m just bigger. I feel like a giant!
On the way to his bedroom, Robert heard muffled voices. Mother and Father! he thought. Robert rushed to his parents’ open bedroom door and peeked in. Then he lightly knocked to get their attention.
“Hello, Robert,” Emma said, adjusting herself in the winged-back chair.
His mother’s hair was nearly snow white. She had wrinkled lines spread around her face and forehead. She’s old, Robert thought. Really, really old.
In the bed, his father smiled. His white shaggy hair and unshaved whiskers took Robert off guard. He’s really old too, Robert thought. And even worse, he still looks sick! This is awful! But Robert bit his tongue and kept his shock to himself.
“I just wanted to say goodnight,” Robert said. “I’m going to bed early. I’m not feeling at all well. I need some rest.” He left and walked to his own room.
Robert fell onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow. Even the bed felt smaller. Everything was different.
I still feel like I’m 10-years-old, he thought, but I look a lot older. Everyone is older! This isn’t what I wished for. I want my childhood back. What have I done?