The Little Countdown

I scrambled up onto the kitchen counter and came nose-to-nose with a bright red mechanical timer shaped just like a ripe tomato! My fingers couldn't resist—I grabbed the green plastic stem with both hands and gave it a big, muscular twist all the way to three. Tik-tik-tik! It immediately started purring like an anxious little metal bumblebee! I dropped flat onto my stomach across the cool granite, propped my chin in my palms, and held my breath as the tiny white dial crept backward millimeter by millimeter. Every single tick vibrated right through my elbows. Then—BRRR-RING! The bell clattered so loud I bounced off the counter with a giant grin!