The Clock's Chain

[ II ]

The Clock's Chain
Chapter 2

Rayne Norringthon yawned as he tries to get a coffee from the nearest vending machine. He tossed the coin in and a particular coffee can clanked down. The clacking sound echoed on the deserted railway station when he opened the can. There are only a few person sitting on different places, too busy doing something to talk to each other.

He glanced to his brother's pocket watch as well as the clock on the wall. They're showing the exact same time; three minutes until midnight.

Ticking sounds from the pocket watch nearly drives him crazy. How come that his brother had actually predicted all of this that he was able to write his last message to his beloved little brother? The scrap paper inside the pocket watch told him to be careful. He also said that things will never be the same again.

Ray shrugged; questioning himself what could that sentence mean. But he also can't deny that the handwriting on that piece of paper is Aaron's.

Then there was a key. That's the only thing that existed inside the envelope from an anonymous. Sure, it took some time for Ray to finally figured out what was that key for.

After chasing that (probably) psycho man and lost him on the dark, damp alley, he had no choice but to went back home. He sighed; admitting that he has lost the opportunity to catch him twice.

His head felt like going to went dumb when a white envelope with no sign of the sender was left on his doorstep. Again. That was addressed to him.

Groaning from frustration, he tore up the envelope and a small key clinked down next to his feet. That time, he had no idea what was that key for.

As soon as he reached his bedroom, he leaned his tired legs all over the bed and let himself think about it until his brain stumbled into a dead end. No answerable questions remaining.

"Gah!" He exclaimed frustratedly "This is not helping!" He'd better start to pack things if he really wanted to use that bizarre ticket.

At the time he was preparing for the most unexpected journey he was going to have this very midnight, he noticed a strange sound coming out from his backpack.

Tick-tock

Tick-tock

Tick-tock

What the heck?!

He turned his backpack upside-down and a round, silver thing fell down right to the floor. Ray bent down to pick up that round-shape thing; and it turned out to be a pocket watch. An eccentric one. Thankfully it didn't scratched, though.

A pocket watch? Wasn't it his brother's favorite watch? He remembered telling his brother to buy a wristwatch instead of an old fashioned pocket watch back then.

The question is, how can this thing get inside his backpack?

He stared at the pocket watch, front and back, it looked perfectly normal except for the small keyhole on its lid. It's kind of weird for a pocket watch to have a keyhole, right?

Things started to make sense eventually. He jumped, searching for the key that he found inside the envelope; it must be the key for this watch. And true, the lid clacked open as he turned the key; along with the scrap of paper inside.

A quite loud train chimes snapped him back to the reality. He turns around and there was a grand looking train stopped in front of his eyes. Trust him, he has never seen any train with carvings on every inch of its carriages.