Everyone in Meadowbrook Town knew about the old clock tower.
It stood in the center of town, tall and silent, with cracked stone walls and a large round clock that had stopped working years ago. The hands of the clock were frozen at 9:17.
No one remembered exactly when it stopped. People only remembered that after that day, things in Meadowbrook were never the same.
Seventeen-year-old Liam Carter had just moved to Meadowbrook with his aunt after his parents died in a car accident. The town felt too quiet, almost like it was holding its breath. Liam noticed something strange on his very first day—everyone avoided looking at the clock tower.
At school, when Liam asked his classmates about it, the room went silent.
"Don't ask about the clock," one girl whispered.
"It's bad luck," said another.
"People disappear," someone muttered.
Liam laughed it off, but deep inside, curiosity burned.
The Notebook
One evening, while cleaning the attic of his new house, Liam found an old leather notebook hidden inside a wooden box. The first page had a name written in faded ink:
Daniel Carter
Liam's heart skipped. That was his father's name.
The notebook was filled with strange notes, drawings of gears, maps of the town, and one sentence written again and again:
"The truth is trapped at 9:17."
At the back of the notebook was a final message:
"If anything happens to me, go to the clock tower."
Liam couldn't sleep that night.
The First Sound
At exactly 9:17 p.m., Liam heard something strange.
A sound.
Tick.
He sat up in bed.
Tick.
It was faint but clear—like the ticking of a clock.
The clock tower… was working.
Liam grabbed his jacket and ran outside. The town streets were empty. As he reached the tower, the ticking grew louder.
The door, which was always locked, was slightly open.
Liam pushed it.