I held the watch like a shell to my ear. The waves of ticking broke and remade themselves to the beat of my heart. We breathed to the same tune. The watch kept asking me to fill my lungs and live on. Only seconds have passed since I stopped moving to listen to it.
The minute hand had just told me that midnight had come at last. It was quiet in a way that only midnight can be quiet. So still that my insides finally matched the minute hand. The sky outside resembled dark chocolate, with flecks of stars like sea salt sprinkled in patterns. I savored it for as long as my eyes could hold themselves open. The beating of the clock sang me to sleep.
