12:00

Like any good start to an exciting story, it was a dark and stormy night. Indeed, a perfect night, the one we had been waiting for. It was still in our home, everyone lying in their beds, snoring. But not me. I lay still on my twin bed, staring at the ceiling fan, listening to the thunder, and watching as lightning flashed through my bedroom curtains. I might have dozed off for a few seconds here and there, but no, I was too excited, or maybe nervous was the right word.

My phone, sitting on the nightstand next to me, began to ring. It was midnight. I sat up, quietly pulling the blankets off me as I waited for the sound. And there it was. The head piercing, eardrum exploding ding-dong of the clock in the middle of town striking 12:00. I felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I knew this was the time. Time for action.

I got out of bed quietly. I had made sure I was fully dressed, so the sound of my dresser doors didn’t wake anyone up. I crept slowly past my family's rooms, tiptoeing down the hallway, avoiding the squeaky floorboard. I managed to sneak out the door without waking anyone in the house or even the family cat, who would meow relentlessly if she knew someone was up.

I walked outside and looked at the rain with the road lightly lit by the streetlamp. I began walking down the street when I was suddenly hit by the realization that something was wrong. Stringy and wet hair clung to my face, and a chill set into my bones as the clothes I had on got thoroughly drenched. I hit my face with a sloppy palm. I'd forgotten my umbrella! I tried to escape from the rain, ducking under canopies, but it was no use. Eventually, though, I stopped caring because I could see the looming clock tower drawing closer. I arrived there at exactly 12:05.

I glanced around, squinting out in the rain, looking for my friend, my partner, in this little outing, far past our bedtimes. There was a bench in front of the tower. First, I sat down, but the sleepiness tried to overtake me, so I began to pace back and forth until 12:10, rubbing the sleepy dust and rainwater from my eyes. I found myself slumping down onto the bench. My eyelids grew too heavy and I drifted off.

Thankfully, I had the storm as my alarm clock. And I woke up startled by the boom of thunder. There was a small figure in front of me, adorned in a raincoat with a matching hat and boots. It was 12:20. She had finally arrived.

“You're late,” I said.

“I know. My brother was up playing video games and almost caught me. But I slipped out through my window.” She said with the slightest hint of an accent that she probably got from watching too much British TV as a kid. “Why are you wet?”

“I forgot my umbrella,” I said. "Or a raincoat... et cetera.

“Who forgets their umbrella when it is raining?!” She asked.

“A very tired person. But that's not what's important here.” I reasoned, “Do you have it?”

She solemnly picked up the bag with an electric smile and wide eyes. We turned towards the clock tower and stared up at its majestic-ness. It had been there for centuries, according to some. Tall and sturdy, dinging every 5 hours on the dot.

“You sure we still should do this?” She asked in a quiet voice.

I let out a heavy sigh and said, “Yep, or else our curiosity and cowardice would eat at our souls until we were consumed by... soul rot."

She blinked emotionlessly at me. "Are you on something?" She asked.

"No, geez, we're 15. I told you, I'm just tired. Let’s get a move on. It's almost time."

We walked to the wooden doors and up the concrete stairs. It was dark and wet, dripping on our heads as if it were raining inside the tower. We finally reached the top landing, where the gears turned and crunched, patiently biding their time until it was ready for the next ringing of the bell. She set the bag down on the ground, sliding out the small metal case inside. She opened it carefully, and a small glow leaked out, filling our eyes, making my heart pump fast. I couldn’t believe we were actually doing this.

She carefully took out the small orb, the color of a diamond, and as delicate as a flower. “It is 12:30. Would you like to do the honors? You were the one who spotted it first, after all.” She said, looking at me.

I gulped, shaking my head slowly, grabbing the orb as gently as you would hold a newborn baby. Though looking at it sort of burned my eyes, I couldn’t look away. It took me back to 6 months ago when she and I found it in the woods, buried under dirt and leaves. We'd always been sort of friends before then, but when we made this discovery together, we truly bonded. And if this worked the way we thought, we would be inseparable, sharing a secret just between the two of us, planning our next move.

I crept over to the junction box, and the rusty door creaked open. I nestled the orb next to the power box in between the forest of wires. Then I closed the box, flipped the switch, and stood next to my friend. We held each other's hands and braced for whatever happened next. The entire room was filled with a bright blue and glamorous light as bright as the sun! We closed our eyes to the blinding light. I felt like I was floating, as though I was out of myself, my consciousness separate from my body.

At last, I returned to myself. I was flat on my back on something soft. It was quiet for a moment. Then the silence was broken by thunder. Suddenly, a sharp flash of lightning burst through my curtains. There it was. That all-familiar sound echoes through the town. It was the clock tower in the middle of downtown, hitting 12:00. I lay comfortably in my room on my bed, staring at the ceiling as the ceiling fan spun dizzily.

My smile stretched on for miles, and I couldn't help myself from laughing giddily. I stuffed my face into the pillow and screamed, "It worked!"