A Watch in the Dark

I climbed all the way up the wooden shelves to see how the room looks at night. Right on the top edge, resting beside a row of books, lay a round brass pocket watch with a coiled link chain! Its tiny glass face had pale glowing numerals that shimmered in the dim light. I sat down right beside it and pressed my palm against the smooth crystal. Beneath the surface came a faint, rhythmic tick-tick-tick, vibrating right through my fingertips like a tiny steady heartbeat.