It wished to do something more interesting, something with a little more… zip. If only it had some direction.

Then, a beautiful sound wafted into the tiny shop. A quartet was playing outside the cafe downstairs. It was a beautifully simple melody, and the peppy rhythm fell right in time with the clock’s steady tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock. But occasionally it fell off the beat, only to return to the original pulse. That fascinated the clock. How could something so metrical hiccup for a moment, and fall back in step without sounding out of place?

Perhaps it could try that, too?

It ticked normally a few beats, then held a tick a bit longer, only to let it go and fall back into step. It sounded alright, and it felt rather good, too. It held up the works a moment, but that was the beauty of it.