Tick-Tock

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. That horrible sound! My father gave me a watch once that ticked and tocked very loudly, but nothing could compare to this…

12...

The numbers were slowly ticking down, and only one thing would be the result. I knew what to expect, of course, but I never thought that it would happen so soon.

11...

The numbers were so close now, and I sucked in my breath quickly, feeling a slight sense of anticipation. Tick-tock, tick-tock, the numbers were moving so slowly I felt that the countdown would never end. I shifted position a little, wondering how long this was going to take. I mean, I had been waiting for so long now. Not that I wanted the countdown to end, but really, how long was this going to take? Now that the moment would soon be upon me, it seemed as if time had slowed to a halt.

10...

Well, I sure do remember that year. My sister, who was six years my elder, moved out of the house after a day of arguing with my mother. My mom had caught my sister and her boyfriend doing a certain something that they shouldn’t be doing, and got very ‘huffy-puffy’ about it, as my sister put it. Noel, my sister, told mom that her boyfriend (Brad, who was 19), wanted her to live with him anyway, and she stormed out of the house after packing a few belongings. My mother cried all day after that. I sat by her for most of the day, trying to comfort her as best I could. My sister graduated from high school and still lives with Brad; they’re engaged now and are expecting their first child soon.

9...

The numbers, oh the numbers! So slow, and yet so tireless in their drive to the finish. I want it to end quickly, and yet I am reluctant. Perhaps I do not truly know what it is that I want…

8...

You know, eight has always been my favorite number. I really don’t know why, but I have always liked the number eight. I think that when I was learning to count to ten, I would always stop at eight. I could never remember nine or ten, and my mom always laughed hysterically when I constantly stopped at eight. I would sit there, a slight smile on my face as I wondered what was so funny. She would tell me to start again, and once again I would stop at eight. It took my quite some time to get it right, but I know now. I’m actually pretty good at math, now that I think about it.

7...

Seven. What a lucky number. I guess I really shouldn’t say that now. I was seven when I got my first bike. I remember my dad holding onto the back while I slowly pushed the pedals around, riding the bike for the first time. He promised that he would not let go, but as all parents do, so did he. The feeling was wonderful. I can ride a bike! I told all my friends. Anyway, that was a good year. Seven is truly a good number.

6...

I wonder when this is all going to be over? I turned that question over in my mind, seeking an answer, but could find none. Wait for the end, that’s all I could do now. Sure, it hadn’t been a long time in coming, but I thought it was long enough. I’d been waiting for a while now, and I was ready for it to all be over.

5...

I guess it was five years ago when I first met Mark. He was my first crush, and my first boyfriend. We used to sit out on the front porch holding hands and smooching in the fading sunlight, just sitting there enjoying our youth and each other’s company. We were so young then, just beyond an age where boys were thought to have company. I was thirteen, and he was fourteen. I felt so cool to be going out with a high-schooler, being in eigth grade myself. When I went to school, it was all I ever talked about. I was so smitten and naïve, I never what kind of guy Mark would turn out to be…

4...

Four years. I went out with Mark for four years. We had a happy relationship for some time, but after about 3 years, things began to go downhill. We had never been too serious about our relationship. We would hug and kiss and hang out a lot, but never anything beyond that. We did not consider our relationship exclusive, though we saw no one else. But we never thought about the future, never made any further plans. After 3 years, Mark told me that he had begun dating another girl. Some one from another school. I was okay with this, for a while. But pretty soon, I saw less and less of Mark, and began to become upset. When I confronted him about these feelings, he told me that I would probably never give him what the other girl Marla gave him. I knew what he was talking about. I was 17, but I wasn’t dumb. He wanted sex, and I was not willing.

3...

After that third year, we dated for a little longer, but soon broke off the relationship, and the friendship for that matter. I was not interested in having sex, and he was no longer interested in being with me, so it just ended there. Speaking of ending, it looks like I’m almost done here. It certainly has been a long time. Almost too long. Well, maybe I have time for a couple more stories…

2...

Well, two years from now I’ll be graduating from Gromark University with an Associates degree in animal science. I’ve always loved animals, and I’ve known for a while now that I wanted to be a veterinarian. Of course, you have to go through several years of college to become one, but I’m willing. I mean, I love animals, and science is pretty cool too… I’ll have such a great job! Just two years and I’ll be able to get a job at an animal hospital, maybe even have them pay for the rest of my schooling. Oh well, I guess that is just wishful thinking….

1...

Only one more second to go. Good. I think that I’ve waited long enough. The end has finally come. I’m ready for it, I think.

0...

… *beep, beep, beep*

I opened the microwave door, and the smell of the T.V. dinner wafted out and delighted my nose with its aroma. I thought that my dinner would never be done! I took out the platter and peeled back the plastic covering.

“Oh, could you make me one too, sis? I almost forgot how hungry I am,” Noel called out. She was sitting with Brad in the living room, a sappy romance flick playing on the large T.V. my mom had bought for their engagement gift.

“Sure, just give me a sec!” I grabbed another dinner from the freezer and opened the box, putting the platter into the microwave and setting it for 12 minutes.

This was going to take a while…

…

Tick-tock, tick-tock. Oh that noise!!!