The Great Clock gonged the hour of 9
am, rattling the City of Candle alive with the scream of steam and
the tics of machinery. Everything was open now. Every business
threw open their doors and windows, bringing their carts round the
front, showcasing their fine work. The streets started to fill as
the city began its day by going about its routine. Made possible by
the fine, elderly, 1,000 foot hovering clock tower above them that
reigned omnipotent punctuality over the lives of the city-folk.
It was Pippa Cogsmith's favorite time
of the day, aside from noon that pounded the lunch break, the six
o'clock hour that clanged closing time, and the 9 o'clock hour that
donged the lights out, in which all gaslights throughout the city
were dimmed to nothing, as if by magic upon the clock's command. It
never stopped folks from living past the dark hour, though. Pippa
often stayed up late with candle nubs, and watched the city outside
dance under the stars, candle-lights glowing and forming shadows
behind lace curtains. Music and singing filled the tavern down the
road, and it flitted into Pippa's and her sister's room. She would
drift to sleep listening to it, until she was woken by the 6 am
pounding of the Great Clock tower, encouraging the city to wake. And
the day would begin again, and Pippa would rush out into the raggedy
brick laid roads, having bet her father that she could make it to the
ground docks before him.
I hope to continue writing more of this. Leave a comment below if you'd like! Thanks for reading!
