Self-winding

 

She’d known for some time that life could only keep moving forward if she kept her watch wound.  As it slowed to a stop, so did all the activity around her.  It became imperative that she pay close attention and keep it wound and ticking.  Should it become too close to stopping, she’d lack the energy to take hold of the watch stem and turn it. 

The wind would die down, birds struggled to fly and even gravity seemed to fail, although randomly. She had discovered the power of her watch shortly after her grandfather had given it to her.  She told no one of its power, for fear of sounding crazy, but the fact was, should her watch come to a complete stop, so would all animated life.

As she grew older, her desire to mention it to someone - anyone grew stronger.  This was too great a responsibility for one person.  She wondered how her grandfather came to be in possession of such a watch.  Where had he gotten it, where did it come from.  Had it been cursed by some gypsy? Not likely.  This was much greater than some hokey spell.  But what?  How was it affecting all life?  It made no sense.

Looking to the future, she knew she needed to make arrangement for someone to take her place in the event anything should happen to her.  If she spelled it out in her will, it would surely become public knowledge.  Then what?  Not everyone has good intentions.  Some may try to steal it, ransom it for millions.  In the wrong hands this could be the end to everything as we know it.  How was she to ensure it survives long after she is gone?

Maybe that was the answer. 

Maybe taking it to a watch maker and making it into a self-winding watch was the answer.  She could then free herself of the watch.  Just by attaching it to something mechanical that was always moving, it would forever stay wound.  Life would go on.  But what was there that was always in motion, and how was she going to secretly strap a watch to whatever it was, without anyone noticing? 

The other thing that came to her was the watch maker.  He or she would have to be honest and have the ability to alter the watch while it kept running.  That could be the fly in the ointment.  It would be like getting a tune-up on your car while the motor was running.  Okay, bad example.  Maybe it was possible…  Heart doctors perform operations on a heart while it is still beating.  There just might be a way.

She needed time to think...