She could hear the ticking of the clock in her ears grow louder. She tensed, knowing he was near.

She quickly slowed time down, checking her surroundings. Had she forgotten to do a task he had requested of her? Was she in the wrong place? Was there something that she had done wrong?

She couldn't tell. She didn't think so. Her hands ached with cold. Her head spun with low blood sugar. Just had to keep going. It was fine. She was fine.

She felt the ticking soften again. He was gone. He must be pleased. She allowed time to resume as normal and turned her attention back to the professor's lecture. If she just kept pleasing him, he would keep letting her have a future.

~

He couldn't help noticing her. The girl sat in the row in front of him. She was a tiny little thing. She was tall, but small in frame and very underweight, though that fact was hidden by a large sweatshirt that seemed to eat her whole. Her blond hair was tucked into a messy bun.

He bit his lip as she tried to stand. Her hands grasped the desk as she tried to steady herself.

"It's Emma, right? Can I help you?" he asked.

She looked up at him, her face very pale. She tried to nod.

He wrapped his arm around her and helped her sit back down. Even through the sweatshirt, her body radiated with absolute coldness. "There we go. Take a second."

"I'm alright. I'm fine." She protested, as he handed her a bottle of water.

"No, I don't think you are. And I'm a pre-med student, so I should know." He held her hands and waited for her face to regain a little color. "My name's Patrick, in case you forgot."

She looked nervous. "Emma. Emma Paige."

"Do you have classes after this, Emma?" Patrick asked.

She shook her head. "No. I have to get home. I have to. Now. I'll be late."

He wrapped his arm around her and helped her to her feet. "Where's your car? I'll walk you there."

Emma bit her lip and looked down. "I don't. I walk. It's not that far."

Patrick couldn't help but be concerned. "You're not in good shape to walk. Can I get you a snack before you go?"

Emma shook her head and pushed away from him. "No. I'm fine. There's food at the house. Thank you." She picked up the backpack from under her desk and tried to hurry away, her body struggling under the weight.

~

She trembled as she hurried into the house - why was unclear. Both fear and fatigue had taken over her body.

"You're late!" He yelled, easily throwing her to the ground.

She whimpered as her bones hit the hard wooden floor. She tried to scoot away.

"Get dinner cooked, already! Then you need to take my car to the garage and, while you're at it, deposit my check at the bank." He snapped at her.

Emma Paige nodded compliantly and tried to stand. Her legs were too weak to support her. She wondered when she last ate. No matter - she was almost pretty. If she could get pretty, the Watchmaker would help her escape. He had said so.

Her father was so different than the Watchmaker.

She pulled herself to the kitchen and started heating up soup. 

The Watchmaker scared her, yes. Very much so. But he was everything she could have dreamed a father could be. He remembered her birthday and Christmas, and made sure that he was always at her school performances. He helped her with her homework whenever she needed the help. Most importantly, he never hit her or pushed her or kicked her.

She wished her father was more like that. He didn't care if she existed or not; all he wanted was a new girlfriend. Emma was kinda glad all of the girls he had tried to date had recognized that her dad was a jerk. I mean, some took longer than others. But at least none of them ended up in her place. She at least had the Watchmaker.

~

He opened his eyes as the pitiful girl fell asleep at last. She had completely shut down time for quite awhile in the middle of running errands. He loved when she did that. It made his body tingle with inflowing energy when she, or any of his watches, used the powers he gave them. 

Such power. Oh such power. 

To adjust the rate of time was a very beneficial skill, and the element of his power that he imparted on his apprentices. However, his own powers went far beyond this simple skill. He could move through time at will, provided he had enough power saved up. 

The time would come where he would use this skill to accomplish his plan. Today was not that day. He must save up much more energy before that day could come.

She woke up feeling completely drained. Every inch of her body felt chilled, as her heart pounded in her chest. She trembled as she tried to sit up. She knew she need to eat soon. She couldn't remember when she last ate. 4 days, maybe? Maybe 5? No one cared, anyways. Even the watchmaker didn't care unless she started to pass out in public.

She pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, as well as her sweatshirt. She knew it was old, but it still fit from middle school, and it was warm. It covered up her overly thin frame, which made her feel slightly better about the fact that she needed to eat today.

She tip-toed to the kitchen. She could see her dad still in the living room, asleep, just as he had been when she got home from the many errands he had sent her on.

She had stopped time for quite awhile last night. She felt bad about it but she had just needed the time to rest. Just a few moments of being safe. She needed those moments.

She tried to be as quiet as possible as she got an apple and sliced it. An apple had about 95 calories. That wouldn't make her fat, right? That would be enough to keep her from passing out, though. It would be enough. Just enough.

She heard noise. He was waking up. She grabbed the apple slices and shoved them in a napkin. She bit her lip and slipped it all in her backpack. She had to get to class. She had to. She couldn't fail math.

He walked into the kitchen before she could get her backpack on her shoulders. She bit her lip.

He was silent. Too silent. She stood as still as she possibly could. She just wanted to go to class. She tried to slip backwards. The door was so close. So close. So far.

He looked at her as he got her coffee mug down. She could tell he was mad. She wasn't sure what she had done wrong. Had she dried them wrong? Put them in the wrong order?

She just stood. She didn't know what else to do. She waited.

He filled up the mug, his eyes staying on her. She cowered. He was so mad. So so mad. She couldn't make him more mad, but she didn't know what was wrong that she needed to fix.

She didn't know what else to do. She sped up time. She knew he was going to hurt her. She might as well just get it over with.

It came suddenly. Hot coffee dripped down her legs as the broken coffee mug lay in pieces at her feet. She just ran. She didn't know what else to do. She ran to her car as quickly as she can. She didn't care if her sweatshirt was stained. She just had to get out. Go to math.

Everything would be okay once she got to math. If she did well at math, the Watchmaker would be pleased with her. Maybe he would take her back to his house and let her sleep there.

~

Emma Paige came in covered in fresh coffee stains and had a gash on her arm. He couldn't help but he worried.

He put his hand on her arm. She was still freezing. She didn't look up at him, she just kept unpacking her books. She lined up her supplies in a perfect order. Two pencils, a pen, and a worn spiral folder lay perfectly straight on her desk.

She finally seemed to notice that he had his hand on her arm. She jumped and pulled away.

"Sorry", Patrick said softly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"I don't mean to be pushy but... have you eaten this morning?"

She hesitated before shaking her head. She pulled out a napkin with a few slices of apple inside and started nibbling.

He sat next to her and just waited. She was a mystery - Patrick could only assume her life. All he knew was that he was fascinated...

And there was definitely something very wrong.

~

The Watchmaker frowned.

"No. No. No." he mumbled under his breath as he watched the scene play out.

She wasn't allowed to make friends. She knew that. She didn't need them.

Emma Paige had him. The Watchmaker. He was all she needed. He needed her to trust him completely. To obey.

He grabbed his phone and carefully worded out a text.

If you make a good choice, you can come over this afternoon and I'll protect you.

~

Her phone buzzed in the middle of class. She bit her lip. There were only 2 people it could be.

One of them loved her and gave her powers.

One of them them kicks and hits and treats her like the scum of the earth.

If you make a good choice, you can come over this afternoon and I'll protect you.

She relaxed.

She knew what he meant. She wasn't supposed to talk to other people. They were dangerous and want to manipulate susceptible girls like herself. Freshmen girls didn't need to be talking to...

She glanced at Patrick.

... very attractive Pre-Med majors.

He welcomed her in with a pleasant smile. She looked up at him, trembling.

"Emma, you're so tired. Come sit in front of the fire." he cooed to her.

She responded how he wanted her to. A quick hug and then hurrying to the rug. She held her hands up and let the flames give heat to her pale skin.

He sat down near her. "Talk to me, beautiful girl. Your clothes are stained."

She leaned her head against him. "He hates me. I think he threw his coffee at me. I don't remember. I had to zoom time."

The Watchmaker gently stroked her hair. "He is cruel. You are always welcome to use your gifts to help you. That's why I gave them to you. You can use them right now. Slow down time. Enjoy this moment."

Emma nodded and began to slow time.

He watched as the faint shadows of clocks appeared in her eyes, as the hands of the clocks grew slower until they were almost stopped.

He smiled sinisterly and set her still body on the floor as his body began to buzz with power. "Yes, yes, Emma. Distort time. Good job." His skin sizzled with energy as it flowed into his body.

In most situations, Emma would be slowing time for everyone around her, but within his home, his own powers canceled hers. Only her sense of reality was slowed, almost like she was sleeping. He didn't have time to baby her while she lay there like a helpless little peasant. He had more pressing things to do.

~

She let herself wake up. The fire had gone out, and her very bones felt like they were made of ice. Nausea washed over her as she tried to sit up. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She needed to eat. She knew that. She was so scared.

The light was on in the Watchmaker's study. She wondered if he would feed her. She would let him.

She tried to stand and walk over to him.

He turned his head and looked at her. "Do you need something?"

She bit her lip. "I think I need food."

He moved his chair back and stood to look at her. "Do you?"

She pulled away a little. "My chest hurts. I think I might pass out."

The Watchmaker looked at her critically. "Have you eaten anything today."

Emma's eyes started to swarm with tears. "I ate an apple. I felt so sick. I had to."

He stood up and walked over to her, his figure intimidating against her frailty. "I thought I told you to only eat when I fed you. Did I not?"

She shook. "You did. But that was days ago."

The Watchmaker turned away from her. "I guess I shouldn't have expected you to obey me. You don't appreciate all I've done for you."

Emma started crying. "But I do! I do so much!"

The Watchmaker turned back. "Prove it. Prove that you're loyal to me, Emma Paige Johnson, and I'll give you something to eat."

Emma nodded and held out her hands.

~

The Watchmaker took her hands in his. They were cold and shaking. This was good. This was very good. She was completely under his control. He had to wonder how she had made it so long on only an apple. She looked like she was about to pass out.

"Close your eyes, Emma. Start speeding up time."

She quickly did so.

He felt the power rushing into his arms. Oh this was good. This was very good.

Time passed normal as her body pushed out as much time-bending energy as possible. Her shivering body sweat with exhaustion. Her heart pounded.

He felt time starting to falter. He smiled. She really was loyal. He made sure to catch her as she passed out.

He laid her gently on the hard, cold floor. She would be fine. If she woke up chilled, she would be even more grateful for the small meal he would prepare for her.