In the tiny town of Willowbrook, where nothing exciting ever happened (except Mrs. Peabody's cat learning how to open doors), there lived a 12-year-old boy named Oliver Finch.
Oliver had one serious problem.
He was always late.
Late for school.
Late for dinner.
Even late to his own birthday party.
"Time and I are not friends," Oliver would say dramatically.
One rainy afternoon, while trying to avoid another lecture about punctuality, Oliver noticed something strange. Between the bakery and the bookstore stood a tiny shop he had never seen before.
The sign read:
"Borrowed Time — Returns Strictly Required."
Curious (and slightly confused), Oliver stepped inside.
The shop was filled with clocks—big ones, small ones, ticking loudly, ticking softly. Behind the counter stood an old woman with silver hair piled high on her head.
"You're late," she said calmly.
Oliver blinked. "How do you know that?"
"Everyone who comes here is late for something," she replied. "So tell me—how much time do you need?"
Oliver hesitated. "Can I… borrow an hour?"
The woman handed him a glowing golden coin.
"Flip this when you need time to stop," she said. "But remember—what you borrow, you must return."
Oliver nodded quickly.
He didn't really think about that last part.