[WP] At 18, your father finally gave you his antique Swiss watch. "The watch will stop working when you're seconds away from death. Live a good life", your father always told you. Now at 26, you're celebrating your 1st wedding anniversary. As your wife pours you a glass of wine, the watch stopped.
As James gazed down at his new born, still waddled in blankets, he smiled to himself, thinking that this was one of the best moments of his life. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, humming and hoping that it wouldn’t stop like how it had for his father when he was born. He still had much to teach the boy. Oh, how he hoped.
3 years since that day, the infant grew to be named Reiner, A very fitting name for a child that seemed to be too adventurous for his own good.
“Rei, come here, kiddo” James had patted his left leg, to which the 3-year old had eagerly perched himself on.
“Is it story time?” A very cheeky grin graced his lips, excitement evident in the child’s tone and a spark could be seen in his bright eyes.
“Yeah, it’s story time again. What do you wanna hear about this time?” James held the boy close, an arm around their small frame.
“Hmm.. how about..” The child’s gaze shifted from one place to the other, looking for anything that he hasn’t been told about yet. After some time, his eyes finally landed on his father’s watch. The one he always wore and always tried to keep close to him as much as possible.
“Ahh, this old thing?” Reiner nodded almost instantly as James raised his arm enough to show off his watch. “I’ll tell you another time. How about I tell you a story about the small gnomes that hid outside?”
Whines of protest came pouring from the boy’s lips “But you told me I get to choose this time”
“I did but there are some things you can’t understand yet, kiddo” James flashed him an apologetic smile before directing both their attention to the tree that can be viewed from the room’s window “When the time comes. I promise I’ll tell you”
Reiner responded with a pout but nonetheless, let the topic go. Stories about small creatures was still a story. And with his dad telling it, it was bound to be a good one.
Years passed since that very day and Reiner would always ask about the watch whenever he had the chance. On some occasions, he would sneak into his parents’ room just to “borrow it” and tinker with it for a bit. The activity went on for years until Reiner finally concluded the fact that maybe his dad was just a little too overprotective of the only thing his late grandfather left him.
The last time he ever borrowed the watch was when he was 18. That time, he was nervous because the watch had stopped moving. He had thought that he broke it so he immediately returned it to the spot his dad usually places it.
That day, his father was strangely calm abu0t the affair. He wasn’t freaking out like on the other times that he had tinkered with the watch.
“Hey Reiner, come over here.”
He was nervous, expecting another sermon or maybe a beating this time. He was a bit too old for it but this time, it seemed like he deserved it for what he had done. Slowly, he approached his father but as he came closer, he could see that his father was holding the watch in his hand
“I need to go somewhere… I’m going to have you take care of this watch for me”
“But dad, Why are you giving me this?” Before I could protest, he placed the watch in my hand as he firmly held the other
“Just take it” He heaved a deep sigh "The watch will stop working when you're seconds away from death. Live a good life"
Reiner was dumbfounded, he wasn’t sure how to process everything and his father never allowed him the chance to. Before he could even utter a word, his father was already by the door. “I’ll be heading to work now. I hope I still see you later” With a weak smile, he left without another word.
The next thing he knew, screeching tires and screams could be heard from outside The car came crashing into their front porch where his father was still on. Nothing could be done. He just watched as his father was trapped in between the car and the broken fragments of what was previously a part of their house.
He couldn’t believe what he just witnessed. His gaze shifted from the now ticking watch in his hands then to his father’s body which was hung lifeless from the car’s hood.
Wil continue this later, I'm not done typing
I thought his wife poisoned him 🙈 But that ended in my least expectations. 🥺