Cow Clock

From http://www.angelfire.com/nc/tcrpress/plots1.html : "stupid cow clock with swinging tail has to go!"

Tick. Tick. Tick. Swish. Swish. Swish. Tick. Swish. Tick. Swish. Tick. Swish. Twitch. Tick. Swish. Twitch.

The vein in Lise's forehead appeared to keep time with the ticking of the clock. Her left eyelid twitched rhythmically. Her eyes kept darting back to the monstrosity hanging on the wall across from her.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

Her head cocked slightly to one side, then back to the centre, as if following the tail of the cow clock.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

Her hands balled up into fists, then relaxed, then balled up again.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

The seconds passed slowly, and Lise still kept watching the clock, as if by staring at it for long enough, she could will it out of existance.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

"Honey?" Phillip called as he walked through the front door, wondering where his new bride was.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

"In. Here." The reply came as stacatto as the second hand.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

Phillip slowly looked into the kitchen, feeling a bit apprehensive at Lise's tone. He stared at her staring at the clock, watching the balling of her fists, the twitching of her eye, and the pulsing of her vein.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

"Honey? Is everything okay?" Phillip asked, hoping that he was not about to get himself killed by asking.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

Eye still twitching, Lise turned towards her husband. "It has to go."

"But it was a wedding present," Phillip tried to protest.

Tick. Swish. Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

"That stupid cow clock with the swinging tail has to go," she repeated. For a brief moment, Phillip considered protesting again. After all, the clock had been a gift from his mother. Another glance at Lise convinced him to let it go - the twitching was now double-time, and the vein looked as if it might pop.

"All right," he replied, backing away from her. Slowly, so as not to upset her further, Phillip reached up to the clock, very much aware of Lise's eyes trying to bore holes into him. He took it down from the wall.

Tick. Swish. Twitch.

Still moving slowly, he pulled out the batteries.

Twitch. Twitch... twitch... ... ...

"Better?" he asked, almost afraid of the response.

"Much!" Lise replied brightly, hopping down from the chair and crossing the room to plant a kiss on his cheek before leaving with a wide grin on her face.

Phillip looked down at the clock, his expression somewhere between confusion and horror. "I think you'll go live in the attic," he told the clock.