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--
[[Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick.]]The clock keeps ticking, an aural reminder of the passage of time.
[[Until it doesn't.]]Well, that's annoying. It's stuck on 6:31 now.
- [[Stand up and replace your clock's batteries.]]
- [[Just keep doing what you were doing.]]replaced_batteries: false
--
Maybe this is a sign. Why do you even have a wall clock now? You have a phone, you can just look at it to see the time.
[[You tap on the screen.]]6:31, it shows you in big, clear numbers.
You make a mental note to get rid of the broken clock later. Maybe you can sell it to someone who'd appreciate it more.
[[Then you return to your work, your fingers click-click-clacking across the keyboard.->keyboard]]replaced_batteries: true
--
It takes a little bit for you to find the AA batteries, but before too long you've replaced the dead ones.
[[When you go to set the time, you tap on your phone's screen.]]Several paragraphs later, you look at what you've accomplished so far and decide to take a break. You grab a drink out the fridge and sit back down to play with your phone.
[[You pick it up and tap the screen with your thumb.]]6:31, it shows you in big, clear numbers.
You wonder if it's frozen, but it seems to be working except for the clock display.
[if replaced_batteries]
You look back up at the wall clock; it's still stopped at 6:31. So maybe it wasn't the batteries? But now you're not sure what time it is at all anymore.
[continue]
[[You open up a new browser tab. "iphone 12 clock stopped," you type in.]]Nothing you try works. Not restarting, not safe mode, not putting "reddit" at the end of the search.
6:31, the screen shows you in big, clear numbers.
[[You decide to take a different tack.]]You open up every social media site you remember having an account on.
The most recent posts say they're from minutes ago.
[[After waiting a few moments, you refresh the pages.]]Nothing happens. All the posts you see are exactly the same.
<blockquote>lord broski xiv<br>
@jabroski420<br>
3m ago
<p>tonight seems to be going on foreeeeeeverrrrrrrrrrr it's so fuckin annoying</p></blockquote>
[[Yeah, you don't know the half of it.]]You try texting people. Nobody responds.
You try looking up an online clock. The page doesn't load.
[[At your wit's end, you go outside.]]6:31, it shows you in big, clear numbers.
Strangely enough, the wall clock is already stopped there. You could have sworn it took longer to find the batteries—but maybe it was just that boring.
[[With a shrug, you return to your work, your fingers click-click-clacking across your keyboard.->keyboard]]There's a church nearby with an electronic display, and you know it has the time in its rotation.
[[You hold your breath waiting for the Bible verses and the weekly schedule to finish cycling through.]]6:31, it shows you in big, clear numbers.
How...?
[[You blink.]]6:32, it shows you in big, clear numbers.