Synchronized Pulse

I approached the low wooden sideboard beneath the wall clock. Step. Pause. Step. My optical focus locked onto the slow pendulum swinging behind the glass housing. Four beats elapsed. I lifted my milk bottle and set it squarely atop the polished walnut surface, aligning its base exactly parallel to the clock case. Inside, copper gears engaged with a steady, metallic thrum. I tilted my head precisely five degrees to track each oscillation. When the chime struck seven times, I pressed my mechanical fingertip against the cool glass door of the case, testing the subtle vibration running through the timber. The tempo matches my internal rhythm.