00:00In a quaint town nestled in the folds of a valley, a peculiar shop stood out among the
00:05cobblestone streets and ivy-covered cottages. Its window displayed an assortment of dusty,
00:10antique clocks, their hands frozen in time. Above the door, a faded sign creaked in the breeze,
00:17reading, Chronesthesia Repair. Inside, a young woman waits anxiously,
00:23her eyes darting around the dimly lit room. In the room were many ancient timepieces,
00:28their gears ticking in a rhythmic cacophony that seemed to echo her racing heart.
00:33The smell of metal and aged wood filled the air, a stark contrast to the fresh scent of rain outside.
00:39The receptionist, an elderly woman with a stern demeanour and a wisp of grey hair escaping from
00:44her tight bun, had led her to a chair with a cushion that looked like it had seen better days.
00:50She'd instructed her to wait with a gruffness that didn't invite questions.
00:53The chair was uncomfortably stiff, and the room felt eerily still, despite the constant symphony
00:59of the clocks. The young woman clearly uncomfortable, glances around, hoping to glean some insight
01:06into the nature of this peculiar place. A soft cough from the receptionist snapped her out of her
01:17trance. The old woman's gaze was fixed on her, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
01:24You're not from around here, are you? she croaked, her voice as dry as the dust that coated the clocks.
01:31The young woman shook her head, unable to find her voice.
01:35Figured as much, the receptionist continued, shuffling through a stack of yellowed papers.
01:40You've got the look.
01:43Um, what look, said the young woman with some hesitancy.
01:47The look everyone who visits here has, you traveled a long way because you lost your sense
01:51of time haven't you?
01:54Feel like the world is running along smoothly without you, feel like everyone just happily
01:58getting on with their lives without you, like you still alive but somehow slipped just out of the
02:03timeline, everyone else still on the merry-go-round and you just stood watching your candy floss blowing
02:08in the wind, well don't you worry miss, Albert will fix it, he always does, get you back on
02:13that merry-go-round soon as you like. Just remember you gotta pay the price, this little speech is
02:19followed by. A half laugh half cough from the receptionist.
02:24The young woman shivered, she thought of what the price could be, not daring to ask, she needed
02:29this and didn't want anything getting in the way, least of all her cowardice at whatever the price might be.
02:38Miss, the receptionist called out, her voice suddenly sharp.
02:43Albert is ready for you now.
02:46She pointed down a narrow corridor lined with more clocks, their faces half hidden in shadows.
02:52The young woman's legs felt like jelly as she stood up, the weight of her decision pressing
02:56down on her shoulders. She took a tentative step forward, her eyes fixed on the archway at the
03:02end of the corridor. As she approached, the door at the far end swung open with a dramatic squeak.
03:09The room beyond was bathed in a soft, warm light, filled with an array of peculiar machines that
03:15whirred and clicked in unison. In the center of the room, an old man with spectacles perched on the tip
03:21of his nose sat hunched over a large wooden desk. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers with a gentle
03:27curiosity. Ah, you must be the one they sent, he said, his voice as smooth as honey. I am Albert.
03:36Albert gestured for her to sit in a chair that was surprisingly comfortable,
03:40given the antiquated aesthetic of the place. She obeyed, her heart racing as she took in the
03:46details of the room, gears and cogs lined the walls, interwoven with delicate coils of metal
03:51that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. Now, Albert began. Your chronesthesia,
03:58your sense of time, it's a delicate thing. Easier to break than to mend. His eyes searched hers,
04:05and she felt a strange, electric current pass between them. But I've had many successful cases.
04:12Tell me, when did it first happen?
04:14The young woman took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. It was gradual. At first,
04:28it was just moments here and there, like I'd missed a beat in a song. Then it got worse.
04:34Days would pass and I'd remember them as mere minutes. Sometimes it's like I'm stuck in a
04:40photograph while the world goes on without me. Albert nodded thoughtfully, stroking his long,
04:46white beard. And what do you think caused this, malfunction? His eyes searched her face,
04:52looking for clues she hadn't even realized she was giving away. The young woman swallowed hard.
04:59I don't know, she admitted. It just, started happening. After the accident, I guess.
05:06The words hung in the air, thick with the unspoken weight of her recent past.
05:12The accident she never talked about, the one that left her feeling adrift in time.
05:17Albert's gaze grew softer.
05:20Ah, I see, he murmured.
05:23Why is it, he thought, that no one sees what is obvious?
05:26He turned back to the young woman and said, So you want to be part of it all again,
05:31to get back on that exercise wheel of life, the life you think is happening without you,
05:36he smiles with the wry grin of someone who knew what was about to happen,
05:39yet in no way was going to warn her. The young woman nodded, desperation clear in her eyes.
05:46More than anything, she whispered. Albert leaned back in his chair,
05:51his hands now folded in his lap. The price, he said, his tone suddenly serious.
05:58You must understand, the price for fixing your chronesthesia is not monetary.
06:07The young woman's eyes widened. What do you mean?
06:12Albert leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
06:15Remember. I need to take your time, memories, in order to anchor you back to the flow.
06:21It's the only way to repair the damage. But remember, once you give it to me, it's gone.
06:28You'll never get it back. Her heart skipped a beat.
06:32Memories? What could that possibly mean?
06:36The young woman felt a twinge of fear but pushed it aside.
06:40If this was what it took to feel like she belonged again, she'd pay the price.
06:45Okay, she said, her voice shaking slightly. What do I need to do?
06:51The man looks deeply into her eyes, his prolonged stare making her feel uncomfortable,
06:56then he makes a small gesture with his hand, almost as if he was catching something out of the air,
07:01and then he sharply demanded she stand up. The young woman had a perturbed frown on her face
07:06but did as she was told, now bend over, he said gruffly.
07:11Bend over.
07:11Came her voice edged with concern, though a tinge of curiosity had seeped in.
07:18Yes, he said sharply, bend over.
07:21He grabbed the edge of the chair turning it toward her, here grab on to this and bend over.
07:26She didn't want to, it all felt extremely untoward, but she was already unsure as to why she was here,
07:33and what else should she do?
07:34She shook her head, everything seemed fuzzy, she could not remember anything,
07:39and before she had really registered what she was doing, her hands had grasped the chair and she was bending over.
07:46His hand came down hard giving her a resounding slap on the bottom and she fell forward, reeling, blackness engulfed her.
07:52The darkness fills with light and the bright, scrubbed clean, sterility of a hospital ward emerges.
08:00Small helpless cries filled the air and the nurse said,
08:03Ah, how sweet.
08:05Though the hospital atmosphere now brightened by the smiles of the happy couple the doctor hands to them a tiny baby.
08:10It's a girl, he said and smiled.
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