Chapter 6: Winder

As soon as I started to wind I knew why the note said 'Do Not Wind'. Everything slowed, stopped, ran backwards, faster and faster. Only now I was outside looking in.

It was like one of those movies that was rewinding on the reel. Instead of rewinding reel to reel the operator ran the film through the projector, but not at normal speed. The three boys walked backwards from the picnic table into the bushes next to the river. Wendy and I read the note on the watch, put the watch in the box, closed the box, took the key out of the lock, into my shirt pocket-sat-at-the-table-walked-to-the-car-shut-the-door-got-in-the-car-backed-into-the-parking-spot-backed-down-Washington-backed-down-Michigan-down-Capital-moved-past-the-cop-stopped-looking-at-the-rubble-backed-down-Capital. The watch stopped. I was too close to it. This changes everything.

By now we were on Logan, just coming into the city.

'That's amazing, ' Wendy thought at me.

'It is that.'

Wendy said, "Mr. Austin, would you please take us to Frandor?"

Instead of driving past the rubble we turned left from Logan on to East Michigan and drove to the new shopping center. Frandor was named after the developers wife, Francis, and his daughter, Doris. It was like a series of strip malls except it had places like Sears, J.C. Penny's and some big name department stores. Macy's was one. There were also several top name Jewelry stores, Medawar's was where we went.

"Mr. Austin. Please look at me." She started the hands trick again. "I would you to please take this box and come in to Medawar's with me."

'David, unlock the box and take out the watch.'

'I see.' I did it.

With the watch safely in my pocket I closed the box and locked it again. My Dad picked up the box and carried it in the store.

"Is Mr. Medawar present at this location?" Wendy's question was specific.

"Yes, he is," the clerk said. "He is a busy man. Perhaps I can help you instead."

I could tell underling psychology was about to take over.

"Miss Gruener, perhaps we should deal with Tiffany's," I suggested, quite loudly.

Mr. Medawar came bustling out of a back room. "Wendy, how is your grandfather?"

"Suffering from the stress of having his entire stock of watches stop and then losing that stock to the explosion last night."

"I had heard he was having problems with his watches, perhaps he's getting too old for the work."

Wendy gave him such a look. "David, would you be so kind as to return to the car, take your watch out and place it under the front seat?" She smiled at Mr. Medawar. "Then, when I wave, return to the front of the store but don't come in."