Three Minutes of Ticking

A dome-shaped mechanical timer sat on the kitchen counter. Its stainless steel dial was ringed with fine black minute ticks. I paused, resting both front paws against the knurled rim. The internal spring offered stiff resistance. Leaning my weight to the left, I gave a deliberate, firm twist. Click, click, click. The pointer rotated three marks before catching. Instantly, a deep, rhythmic chatter began inside the metal casing. The vibration traveled straight up through my plastic pads, humming into my ear hinges. I tilted my head, keeping tempo with the mechanical pulse. Then—a sharp, ringing ding! The bell resonated cleanly through the quiet room. My left ear twitched in delight.