.

.

.

(*.*iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*.*)
(*.*==========The Watch==========*.*)
(*.*iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*.*)

.

.

.

Earlier that day, at the end of their Christmas Party, the teacher asked her students to listen to her as she's to call them by their code names, namely colors, according to the cards attached to each gifts. The gifts were gathered in front beside the teacher's table visible for everyone to see.

One by one, the teacher calls them to come in front and claim their gift. Most of the boys couldn't contain their excitement and hurriedly rips the wrappings and reveal their gifts.

The gifts vary in sizes, although the differences are not very far from each other. Except for Yuta, whose gift is only as big as a small plate. Though most boys got toy trucks or the same sorts, Yuta isn't exactly sure of what he got.

"Hey Yuta! What did you get?" Sayo asked while holding a pink bunny plosh toy in her arms. A bit startled, Yuta was unable to respond to his friend and just stared at her holding his gift with both hands. "You still haven't opened it?"

Still a bit dazed, Yuta cannot form a proper sentence to reply. "Huh? I, uh..."

"Hey! What did you guys get?" Toya asked. "I got this really cool robot!" He proceeded in showing off his giant robot while holding it in by the waist.

Sayo just cannot comprehend the excitement of her friend. "Wow Toya... That's... really-"

"Oh wow Sayo! That's a really cute doll you got there." Toya commented.

Sayo was taken aback by the sudden praise from her friend. "Y-you really think so?"

"Yeah! And it really suits you since you both look the same." Toya added.

"The same?!" Sayo asked and a bit confused on the last comment.

"Yes, the same. I mean like, you both looked really cute."

The girl is very flustered that her face is glowing bright red and was unable to form any proper words that she just ended up blurting sounds which doesn't make any sense.

"I wonder who it's from." Toya asked.

This question snapped Sayo from her current state and started wondering, "Now that you've asked, I also wonder who it's from."

"Oh, that would be me." Another girl answered.

"Maya? This is from you?" Sayo asked.

"Yes. I really hope that it satisfies your criteria of a perfect gift."

"No! I mean, it's perfect! I mean, its not like I have a criteria for a perfect gift or expecting a specific gift or something like that! Like, um... I really, really liked it!" Sayo said.

"Then I am glad to hear that." Maya replied in her most polite manner.

"You're really lucky Sayo! To get your gift from the richest girl in class, that's awesome." Toya said.

"Yeah, this is really... Wait." Sayo felt her sweat got a bit thicker. The same goes for the two boys. "Does this mean that this doll..."

"Uh, excuse me for being rude, Maya." Toya asked. "But how much does that doll exactly cost you."

"Oh, those kinds of things are really irrelevant." Maya replied and laughed discreetly while covering her lips with her hand. The faces of her friends turned pale just thinking about how much it might have cost.

"I-I promise to take really good care of it!" Sayo said almost shouting.

"I'm sure you will Sayo." Maya replied.

"So what did you get, Yuta." Toya asked suddenly cutting to his friend.

"Huh? Oh I haven't opened it yet." Yuta replied. Toya suddenly snatches the gift from his hands and gives it a little shake.

Sayo is very upset with what he did and lectures him but he wasn't listening to her at all. Instead, he is focused on the object in his hands. "What do you think it is?"

Not being able to hold herself anymore, Sayo pinches Toya's face and takes away the gift from his hands. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" She said. But also being curious of the content of the box, she also gives it a little shake and listens to it. Being unable to figure it out, she hands it back over to Yuta. "Here you go Yuta."

"Thanks." Yuta takes the box from her and stares at it.

"It's a bit heavy but it doesn't make much noise." Sayo said.

"Well what do you think it is? An alarm clock?" Toya asked.

"It's too thin for an alarm clock!" Sayo replied.

"It could be a digital one." Toya added.

"I... guess you can say that." Sayo said.

"Or maybe a picture frame!" Toya said.

"It's a bit heavy for that." Sayo said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Toya conceded.

"Maybe it's a priceless porcelain plate from another country?" Maya asked.

"No, no, no, no! Why would you even think of that?" Sayo and Toya replied at the same time.

"So why don't you just open it up already?" Toya asked. Yuta was again startled by the question and everyone around him is waiting for his reply.

"I, uh, you see... I, uh, want to open it together with my mom so... I will open it once I get back home. Yeah..." He explained. Everyone seems to be disappointed.

"Well, we can't be pushy if that's how you want it to be then!" Toya said.

And that's what happened earlier. Right now, Yuta is staring at a round, golden watch.

It is too big to fit on a child's hand that Yuta needs both hands to hold it properly. Its top cover has a fully bloomed rose motif embossed on its center. It has a long golden chain going through the ring on top of it. It was thin, but thick enough not to be able to break easily even if you pull it several times with only using your bare hands. There's a thin button on the bottom which unlocks the top cover and reveals the clock. It is very well made that even the hands of the clock is well-designed. The face is quite ordinary. A white background, with small lines to indicates each second. The numbers are in roman numeral form. No brand was indicated anywhere. The button on top should be able start it up but it does nothing. All three hands are pointing at 12. Another thing about this clock is there's a message behind the top cover. It is written in a beautiful cursive form. It says the following:

My greatest honor
To be at your service.
My name is
Sakuya.
If you ever needed
Anything,
Just call out my
Name.

'Sakuya?' Yuta said in his thoughts. Is that the name of this watch. Why would anyone name a watch? And why a girl's name? He pressed the button on top again but it still won't work. Was it broken? He tried to shake it, but nothing seems loose. Actually, it doesn't make any sound at all. Was everything inside well-fitted? Well, it doesn't really matter too much.

Yuta hurriedly went home and did his daily chores until his mother got home. He told her everything that happened that day and showed her the watch he got as a gift. His mother couldn't believe her eyes. It looks very expensive and it is not a suitable gift for a child. She decided to visit his teacher and talk to her tomorrow. There might be some sort of mistake.

"I will be keeping this in the mean time. Be sure to sleep early, okay?" His mother reminded him and before he went off to bed.

Yuta can't wait to tell his friends about what happened. He sure went to bed early as he is very excited for tomorrow to come.

Later that night, Yuta was awakened by loud noises of something hitting the walls or the floor. His still half-asleep, he stood up and went for the door. It is faint but he could hear a ragged voice crying and begging. He opened his door and found a tall man standing in front of him. His face is covered with mask and he seems to be carrying a baseball bat.

"Yuta!" His mom called out. In his horror, his mother was down on the ground. Blood flowing from her head and her left lower lip is also bleeding.

"Get the child!" Another voice said. It came from the man standing right next to his mother and he is also wearing a mask and carrying a bat.

"NO! Please leave him alone! Please!" His mother begged but the man kicked her on her side.

In a panic, Yuta instinctively run towards his mother but the man standing in front of his door kicked him so hard that he was sent flying back and hit the floor with a loud thud. He felt like he is about to lose his consciousness because of the pain.

"NO! You bastards! Leave him alone! Yuta, RUN!" Her mother protested with all of her remaining strength.

"Shut the bitch up already. It will be troublesome if the neighbors hear us." Said the man in front of the door.

The other guy sat down pulling a knife from his pocket. Yuta would have wished that he had lost his consciousness from the kick earlier. That would probably one of his greatest regrets. It happened as if time have slowed down to mock him and torment him in every second that flows. As the man held his mother to the ground and drove the knife through her neck. Her body was convulsing as she drowns in her own blood. Her eyes slowly rolls to the back of her head as she slowly losses consciousness. It doesn't end quickly as her body continues to writhe in agony even after the man has pulled the knife off of her neck.

"Let's finish off the kid too." Said the man who murdered his mother and walked towards the downed Yuta. He walked briskly carrying the bloody knife in his hand only to be interrupted by another man who seems to come from his mother's room. The other man was also in a hurry and he is carrying a bag full things. They bumped into each other which causes him spill some of the things from the bag on the floor and one of them is the golden watch. They got into a small argument but was immediately broken up by the other guy saying that they have many more things to do.

Yuta was still unable to move because of the pain and is only able to watch as his mother's murderer slowly approaches him again. It is over. He cannot defend himself. He couldn't escape either. All he can do is wait for his end to come. He looked outside his door and sees three men outside. He sees the golden watch as the man bends over to reach it by its chains. The fall might have caused it to open up, revealing the face of the clock. Time seems to flow slowly again as the man lifted it from the ground with its face shown directly to Yuta. And by some sort of a twisted joke, the hand of the watch started to move. Skipping from one line towards the other, Yuta can clearly see its movement despite the distance between them and he can even hear it.

Tic...

Everything seems to move very slow. The way it was lifted in the air, the movement of the man coming towards him, they just move very slowly tormenting the poor child even more.

Toc..

He felt like running away. Screaming for help. Hoping to escape this horrific nightmare.

Tic...

For some reason, he remembers the name written on the watch. Like it is asking him to call out its name. Driven by fear and despair, Yuta sucked in all the air he could gather in his lungs.

Toc...

"SAKUYA!"

His voice seemed to echo around the room. A few moments later, the sound stopped. Everything around him felt different. It appears to be the same but there's something that gives off an uneasy atmosphere. Something is very... wrong.

Yuta looked around him again and he could still see the three men outside of his room but, none of them is moving. As if all three of them turned into statues. Unable to understand what is happening, the boy could only stare in awe as he was looking at the most unrealistic moment of his life. Time has stopped.

He slowly sat up on his knees still holding his stomach where he was kicked. He looked at the three men outside his room again and surely, none of them are moving. A few moments later, he could hear footsteps getting closer towards him. Still in a state of trauma, the boy was frozen in place as he waited for the person who is making the sounds of the footsteps to appear. Wide eyed and shaking, Yuta's eyes were focused on a figure that slowly appeared before him. It was a girl in a maid outfit. Her silver hair forms two braids on each side of her face and her head is adorned with a maid's headband. He looked at the boy with gentleness and promptly bowed in front of him.

"Greetings, young master. It is my greatest pleasure to finally meet you."