The Clock

The church bells ring twelve times
and The Man enters the Great Hall
wearing his pajamas

It is midnight but The Clock is silent.

The Man stacks his papers
carefully on the desk
using his hat as a paper weight

The Clock smiles.

Already the rats are coming
to chew on the corners
The Man screams and stomps

The Clock laughs.

Stop laughing at me - The Man yells
and he bites off the rats heads
staining his lips red with their blood

You're Dying Man - says The Clock.

The man turns blue, choking
and opens a window for air
but The Wind slithers in

You're Dying Man - The Wind says in The Clock's voice.

It picks up papers and tosses them about
and the man runs screaming to collect them
but the rats are quicker

The Wind and the Clock dance together.

The man reaches inside the clock
and removes the pendulum
stopping The Clock

The Wind screams - You've killed my lover.

The Man thrashes at The Wind
but the pendulum passes through
pounding on his temples

The Clock hands are arrows that find The Man's breast.

Good-bye - says The Manilla Man
and crumples to the ground where the rats wait
clutching his chest with ink stained hands.

The Clock chimes ring out while The Wind howls.

-Sean Hastings