Granny's time machine

Before the adventure...

"Kids, remember, no touching anything." That's my mom, always telling us not to touch anything. I mean, why? It's not like we break everything we touch. As much as I can remember, we only broke mom's new china vase last weekend, released our neighbor's dog, hoppy from his leash( besides the poor guy needed some freedom) and failed our dad's car brakes and that also wasn't our fault, we were only trying to repair them.

We unloaded our suitcases out of dad's SUV. He didn't want to get out and I understood him pretty well.

He really didn't feel like getting out of the car because one, we failed the brakes and almost got us killed. And two, he had this old feud with Granny and it's like years back, and even he can't remember the details. So there he sat in the car, scowling at the wheel which made him even more handsome with his super tanned skinned and chiseled face.

"Okay, kids you know the drill." Mom said sweeping her enamel colored hair back over her brown coat dress. "Be good and don't touch anything. Granny is too old for your little mischiefs."

Yeah, don't touch anything; this is the second time she said that since we arrived here. What did granny have that we could possibly touch? I mean she is like eighty-five. Really old and I wonder why she is still alive. And besides we are 12 and granny is too old to have anything that could interest us.

The reason, why we were spending vacation at granny's, we really don't have any idea. All I could remember my parents saying was, they were having this urgent business trip to Cairo, Egypt and we couldn't come. But what I think is they really wanted to dump us off. Truth to be told, my sister and I, we heck can cause trouble. So this summer, we just have to cope with good old granny in London.

Mom greeted Granny who was really finding it hard to remember who mom was. Arrangements were made and half an hour later, Mom kissed us good bye, stuffing two dollars in each of our pockets. She drove off with Dad minutes later after still giving us the same old warning.

We stood looking in the room. Everything looked way back into the fifties and I mean everything. The furniture was like the ones in an old black and white movie. And if you've ever seen the place, you wouldn't like to touch anything. They all looked fragile and easy to break and I think they only reason they didn't break easily was because Granny's voice was weak and feeble.

Granny sat on an old green arm chair leaving two old cabriole chairs for us to sit on.

My sister and I exchanged awkward glances. There was no TV and I pretty much guess there was no electricity. Granny sat there in the old green arm chair knitting and humming an old Cherokee song.

A dark grey cat joined Granny in the sofa giving us quite a fright.

"This is grey." Granny said in her old weak voice. We expected her to say more but she just went back to her knitting.

I was getting bored. She didn't ask us to have some cookies or some tea. I mean, that's all what granny's do right?

"I'm taking a look around the place." I told my sister. "You coming?"

"Yeah." She said. I guess she was also bored. Sitting in an old cabriole chair watching your granny knit and hum an old Cherokee song was no fun.

"Don't go to the attic." Granny warned in her feeble voice.

Well, that should give us a head start looking around. We were going to the attic first. For us, if you told us not do something you were going to regret it. It was better if you'd kept your mouth shut.

After a few minutes we found the attic. It wasn't locked, fortunately on our side. You want someone not to go to the attic and still you don't lock the place.

The old door of the attic creaked and groaned as we entered. Believe me; it was nothing like an attic. It was more like a kindergartner from the fifties playroom.

As we entered the attic we were hit in the face by cobwebs.

"Eew." My sister cried in disgust. "What is this place?"

All around, old toys littered the cemented floor. Cobwebs were all over the place, thick and dirty.

"There is nothing here." My sister said. "Let's go back."

I decided to take one more look around. There were old Indian toys and little china coffee mugs all around. I then decided there was nothing interesting here. Just some old junk.

"Okay lets go." I said. Then from the corner of my eye I saw a faint glow.

"Wait." I said.

"What again, let's go this place is creeping me out." My sister protested.

I ignored her protests and headed in the direction of the glow, clearing the cobwebs of my face and also stumbling over some old junk.

"Where are you going, there is nothing here." My sister insisted but she still followed me battling with the cobwebs constantly muttering curses under her breath.

But I wasn't listening to what she said. There was something else which had caught my attention.

"What the..." My sister said overawed pointing at something right in front of me.

"Hell?" I finished.

Okay let me just skip the suspense. Right in front of us was a 12 ton giant clock. I mean a six feet tall cuckoo clock made of golden colored metal with the edges lined with silver.

"You sure it's still working?" My sister asked.

"I don't know..." I said dusting off the cobwebs from the clock. I turned the hour hand to 12, the minute hand 6 and the second hand 2.

Immediately the clock started ticking.

"Well it works," My sister said. "Let's get out of here."

"Wait." I relented. "Just one more look."

"Whatever." My sister said as she hummed one of granny's songs subconsciously. I felt around the clock and suddenly it started ticking at surprising speed.

"Whoa." I said.

"James, what did you do?" My sister asked.

"I... I don't know," I replied.

The clock creaked and groaned, the hands spun faster. The body of the clock divided into two and opened revealing the internal machinery. Gears and levers spun, all working at incredible speed. The face of the clock morphed into dials and buttons.

"What is this?" My sister said.

"I don't' know." I replied. "I don't know."

"James, Sandra, what are you too doing up there?" Granny called in her weak feeble voice.

"We better go.' I said.

"But...the -."

"Just go, I'm right behind you." I covered the clock with a blanket on the floor and headed downstairs with my sister.

My name is James Woode. I'm 12 and my sister, she is Sandra Woode. We are twins. I take all my words back for saying there was nothing interesting at Granny's because we are just about to have a freaking adventure in her attic. Sounds fun, right? Well, I wish I could say the same.

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