Topic: Corbin The Clockmaker

Corbin The Clockmaker · Date: 2016-06-21 18:27 EST

The wind was whistling. A young man was driving down the road in a small but reliable car, it was around 2am. Corbin was driving home from his storefront in town. He was very tired and somewhat distant in his mind. As he was driving, the full moon was shone through the bare branches casting eerie shadows on the path where he saw a strange man. He looked closer and saw what appeared to be a man in need of some help wobbling down the street. Corbin felt the need to pull over and help.

As he stopped near the man he gripped the steering wheel and with a concerned look rolled down the window and spoke out to the seemingly injured man. The man with intense eyes did not say a word but took Corbin's offer of a ride. There was silence in the car. All one could hear was the engine and the tires against the road. Corbin looked in his rear view mirror and"

-

Jolting in his bed Corbin sat up, his hands up to his face rubbing away the sleep. Whispering to himself;

"Last night I dreamt about it again.?

Corbin The Clockmaker · Date: 2016-06-21 23:21 EST

Lately, I've been feeling a little more on-edge than usual. I can't quite put my finger on why; I assume its because I moved and don't quite understand my new surroundings. Right now I am renting a lower apartment; Okay a basement apartment. I think the landlord is double charging me since he did furnish the place. It is an interesting setup to say the least. The one thing I don't like is that I can always hear the person renting the floor above me whenever they walk around.

I don't know what the guy up stairs does because it seems like he is always pacing around. If I weren't such a weirdo when it came to talking to strangers I would go upstairs and tell him to calm down. The downside really is that I have never seen this guy in person. I would be annoyed regardless of the pacing around if it weren't for the fact that I am awake despite all of the noise. I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight anyway so I may as well pick up one of these watches that is due here in a couple of days. If I were to sleep now I would only get two hours so what is the point.

Sleep, something that seems to evade me because of the lack of windows here. There is one small window near the ceiling but someone painted over it. It's disorienting when you aren't exposed to any natural sunlight. I can lose track of time really easily down here. One night, I stayed up so late fixing a pocket watch and could barely function at work the next day.

Corbin The Clockmaker · Date: 2016-06-27 18:25 EST

Corbin looked in his rear view mirror and" - Shaking his head he knew he had dreamt it again. - Corbin lay in his bed with eyes wide open staring at the ceiling.

"Alright Corbin you really need to pull yourself together man. You need to get out of bed and get into that bathroom and start getting ready for work."

Slowly his legs came out from underneath the small tattered blanket. His bare feet hitting the concrete floor without any reaction on his part. The soft pats of his steps were the only thing he heard as he made his way to his bathroom. Looking into the mirror he brought his hands to his face.

"You have got to get it together. Take a deep breathe and just make it to work. Come on now"

He cleared his throat and reached for the toothbrush with one hand and the other turned on the water. His eyes looked down at the toothpaste tube that was perfectly squeezed from bottom to the tip. Quickly soaking his toothbrush he reached for the tube and shut the water.

"Come on, put the toothpaste on the toothbrush. Get on with it already." Shaking his head and staring into the mirror he did what he told himself to do. The brushing went off without a hitch. Placing the tube and the toothbrush back into their spots he rinsed his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Alright that wasn't so bad. Lets check out the closet and get ready. We have 10 minutes Corbin." He nodded turning away from the mirror and took the very few steps to his makeshift closet. He stood there for a minute and could not decide on pants or shorts.

"Corbin just grab those pants. We do not have time for this. Let's keep it moving"

Grabbing the pants he put in one leg then the other. The rustling of the cloth and his feet hitting the concrete floor through each pant leg seemed louder than anticipated. This caused him to pause for a moment. In this pause the neighbor began to pace. The loud thudding would go from one side of the basement apartment to the other. Growing louder then softer as the distance changed. "Corbin hurry it up man. Button up your pants and put on that shirt. Lets go' Shaking his head from side to side he did once more what he was told. Rummaging his hands through his hair he did not bother with a comb.

"Shoes Corbin, Shoes."

Corbin was dressed and ready to head to work. The man upstairs pacing had continued throughout his morning ordeal but he managed to pull himself together. Grabbing his keys and wallet he grabbed the front door knob. "Corbin don't forget the pocket watch you worked on last night. Grab it. Its on the bedside table."

Without a word he turned on his heel and made his way to the table and picked up the watch. The footsteps upstairs seemed to eerily match his. Shaking his head he made his way back to the door. The upstairs steps matching once more. His hand on the door knob now and turning slightly. "Time to go Corbin."

Corbin The Clockmaker · Date: 2017-05-30 20:46 EST

-BeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeep!-

Corbin jumped up in his bed with a 'deer caught in headlights" look.

"What?", he murmured as he rubbed his right eye.

"Alright Corbin you really need to pull yourself together man. You need to get out of bed and get into that bathroom and start getting ready for work."

There it was again, the voice telling him what to do.

"I just left with the pocket watch in my hand, I?" he paused.

"You have got to get it together. Take a deep breathe and just make it to work. Come on now."

Scratching his head in confusion, the the voice continued to overtake his mind and he became disquieted.

"Come on, put the toothpaste on the toothbrush. Get on with it already."

"No! I already did that!" he exclaimed with his body swinging to the right and both feet hitting the ground. "I brushed my teeth and I am already dressed, see?" he looked down and he was in his pajamas with the stench of morning breath. Gasping out he gathered himself and walked over to the bathroom and almost instantly"

"Come on, put the toothpaste on the toothbrush. Get on with it already"

"Argh, alright fine no need to get pushy." he murmured once more. He grabbed the same toothpaste and applied it to his dry toothbrush. He looked into the mirror with brows furrowed in utter confusion.

"Alright that wasn't so bad. Lets check out the closet and get ready. We have 10 minutes Corbin."

"Psssh, easy for you to say. You aren't the one having d"j" vu now is it." He was irate moving back out into the bedroom. The sound of his feet were now echoed by his neighbors. As he reached for his pants"

"Corbin just grab those pants. We do not have time for this. Let's keep it moving"

"Hey"Hey! I am already getting dressed back off already." The tension in his empty little basement apartment was bursting at the seams. Corbin finished getting dressed, including his shoes, and made his way to the door. His hand grabs the door knob" "Corbin don't forget your bell-peen hammer, we need that today. Grab it. Its on the nightstand."

"wha"wait my hammer" I thought"I thought I needed to grab the?" he stopped his thought process and blindly made his way back to the nightstand and grabbed the hammer. He slid it into its place on his belt and looked towards the door.

"Time to go Corbin."

This time Corbin walked slowly towards the door, his eyes shifting left and right. The neighbor forebodingly following along creating a chilled spine on Corbin. His hand touched the door knob and he took a breath. The door seemingly shuttered on its own but he ignored it and pushed it open. Beams of sunlight bombarded his sight, "Ahh!" shading his face with his left arm he made his way to the car.

-Thump-

The sound of the car door closing was mundane at best. Sliding the key into the ignition Corbin matched his breathe to the turning of the key, then"

-Plup, plup, Whooooooshhhhhh-

"Oh no??

Corbin's head hits the steering wheel.