The Clockmaker’s Four Apprentices
About this ebook
The Clockmaker’s Four Apprentices
On a rainy Thursday night at exactly 11:47 p.m., four teenagers in Bellweather received strange black packages.
Henry Vale found his box outside his front door after hearing three slow knocks. Imani Brooks found the same kind of package outside her apartment when the hallway lights flickered. Claire Whitmore discovered hers inside her locked school locker. Raj Patel found his package on his bedroom desk, even though nobody had entered his room.
Inside each box was an old silver pocket watch. The watches were heavy and scratched. Each one had the initials H, I, C, and R engraved on it. Inside every watch was the same warning:
RETURN BEFORE THE FINAL MINUTE ENDS.
All four watches showed the time 11:47, but their hands did not move.
The next morning, the four friends met in the school library. Henry liked repairing machines. Imani believed every mystery had a logical answer. Claire loved stories about abandoned places and local legends. Raj trusted numbers, patterns, and facts.
When they placed the four watches together, the watches began to tick. The sound was soft, like someone whispering.
Claire heard the words, “Come back,” although she had not spoken.
Suddenly, the second hands moved backward. Glowing lines appeared inside the watches and joined together to form a map of Bellweather. At the center was an abandoned shop called Voss & Sons Clockworks.
The shop had been closed for more than sixty years after a mysterious fire. Its owner, Erasmus Voss, was believed to be dead.
However, the map showed that someone was waiting for them inside.
That night, the friends went to the abandoned shop. At 11:46, the chains fell from the door, and it opened by itself.
At 11:47, they stepped inside.
The door slammed shut.
At that same moment, every clock in Bellweather stopped.
THE END
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About the author
Little Author Biography:
Aqeel Ahmed is a writer from Canada. He has written many books on different topics, such as religious holidays, money, business, health, mental health, relationships, dating, AI, and children’s stories. Readers like his writing because it is clear, interesting, and full of useful ideas. His books can be enjoyed by people of many ages and backgrounds.
Aqeel has lived in Canada for about 37 years. He became interested in writing when he was young. He spent a lot of time reading books and imagining his own stories. As he grew older, he started writing and sharing his work with friends and family. Even though he had talent, he did not think writing would become his main career at first.
Everything changed when he found a chance to write a book about religious holidays. His first book was about Eid al-Fitr. It became phenomenally successful because he explained the holiday’s history and meaning in a straightforward way that people of all faiths could understand. This success motivated him to keep writing and explore more topics and genres.
One of Aqeel’s biggest achievements is his ability to write about many subjects. He has written more than 650 books and hopes to write about two thousand more in the future. His books on Kids & teens Stories and Horror, Science Fiction, business, Mental Health and some other topics have helped people improve their finances. His health and mental health books have supported readers who want better well-being. His books about relationships have offered comfort and guidance. His children’s and teen stories have inspired young readers to imagine new worlds and dream big.
Even with his success, Aqeel stays humble. He believes his results come from hard work, love of writing, and dedication. Today, he is a respected author and speaker, and his books are found in many libraries and bookstores around the world.
Thank you!
