Today was just like any other day for Rhythm. He got up, got dressed, tried to comb through his forest of hair (and failed), ate breakfast and went off to school. He couldnt put his finger on it but his entire life has felt off. Always the same routine for as long as he could remember. Nothing ever really seemed to change. Some may call it luck, he called it boring. The school day was annoyingly normal too. No surprise fire drills, no substitute teacher, not even a pop quiz! Just the same thing day in and day out.

School was finally over, not that he was particularly excited about it since Rhythm's life outside of school was just as boring as the school day itself. He went home to get ready for work. Since he had some extra time today he decided to stop by the book store his friend Astral worked at.

"Hey astral." he said to the girl who was sitting on a bookshelf.

Now it may have surprised some people that she was up there but honestly he's gotten used to the girl's strangeness by now.

"Heyo!" she yelled back eyes still glued to the book she was reading. She placed a bookmark to hold her spot and then hopped down gracefully (not at all graceful in any way) into a pile of books.

"Ow." she said.

Rhythm, who was also used to the girl's clumsiness, huffed a laugh and a sigh, then helped her up.

"Thank you"

"How many times have I told you to be more careful?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Uuuuuuuuugh I know I know. S'not my fault." She jokingly whined and pouted.

The two laughed.

"So did you need something?" She inquired heading back behind the counter given that her break was almost up.

"No was just saying hi. Got anything new to read?"

"Nope, sorry just same old same old."

Astral looked at rhythm sadly, the two hadn't been friends for long but were pretty close, but she still had a difficult time knowing what he was thinking sometimes, since he was so reserved. Not this time though. Astral knew how Rhythm longed for something more interesting to happen in his life. She couldn't say she blamed him. Deep down she knew she longed for the same but was too scared so she always pushed those thoughts aside.

"Oh well thanks anyway." He said dejectedly.

"I'll see ya later gotta get to work." "Ok then. Bye call you later?"

" Yeah." he replied and exited the book store.

Just like every other day. Finally making it to work after the slow walk he took to enjoy the scenery (which looked the same as it always has.) Rhythm greeted his boss Mr. Ridley. Mr Ridley was...pretty interesting to say the least. He was an eccentric elderly man, with piercing blue glass eyes (no not a metaphor he actually has glass eyes.),clean shaven face, a wheelchair, and had a prosthetic arm (awesome right?). He used to fight in the war in his younger days, till a bombing incident cost him his arm both his eyes and his leg have never been the same. Although his heart did. He continued to be a kind man and inherited his grandfather's clock shop. Although everyone thought he was a tad bit crazy since he came back from the war, always making wild claims about what he saw on enemy lines. Rhythm thought he was pretty cool though. Loving listening to the man's crazy tales, which were a nice change of pace from his bland everyday life.

"Good afternoon dear boy how has your day been goin?" Mr. Ridley asked.

"Y'know, just as good as every other day."

" Ha ha! Borin ya aint it." Mr. Ridley said, booming with laughter.

Rhythm smiled a little. 'That man never gets tiring.' He thought to himself.

"Y'know?" Mr. Ridley said breaking Rhythm out of his chain of thought. "Back in the army we never had a dull moment in our lives. Always saw somethin nuts." Mr Ridley chuckled.

'There he goes again.' Rhythm thought with a delighted sigh, always eager to hear more of Mr. Ridley's crazy accusations.

"Once I found a mad scientist in Russia working on animal mutations. The crazy creatures I did see."

"Sounds amazing Mr. Ridley '' Rhythm said, humoring him as he cleaned the shop preparing to open.

" Dear boy could you go in the back and get me that victorian oak clock we fixed for that nice couple this week?" Mr. Ridley requested his employee. Rhythm replied and headed to the back to get it. If anyone asked him, Rhythm would say that the behind the scenes of the clock shop looked like a whole other world compared to everything else. Clocks lining the walls, hanging from the ceiling on their respective hook, and some built and yet to be fixed clocks on the table along with multiple sheets of blueprints for said clocks. Definitely looked like a proper workshop he'd say.

He started searching for the clock Mr Ridley asked him to find. It was a very beautiful antique clock. The people who owned it were a nice elderly couple, they received it as a wedding gift. An heirloom passed down to every newlywed in the family. Rhythm would never admit it to anyone, but he was a bit of a romantic and thought the story was really sweet. 'I know I put it in a safe place somewhere back here.' He thought as he traveled further to the back. Then he'd stumbled upon something he's never seen in the store before

An antique tv.

He's only ever seen them in books and tv and at the occasional yard sale he'd pass by, but never one up close. For some reason it seemed to really be calling out for his attention. So like any other teenager he decided 'A closer look wouldn't hurt right?' He started fumbling around with all the knobs. 'Does this thing even still work?' Apparently his thoughts were answered. The tv screen was still pitch black but the antenna started emitting a painful....well he wasn't sure what it was but it sure as hell hurt. He clutched his head in pain and gritted his teeth as he fell to the ground in pain. He wanted it to stop, but he couldn't even make a coherent thought to to even breath, much less turn off the wretched device. Just as he felt his brain was gonna split in two, iy stopped.

"Was wondering what was going on back here, you alright son?"

His brain was still too much of a jumbled mess to make out the voice, but he knew that it was Mr. Ridley speaking to him. After taking a few deep breaths to calm down and to wait till the pain subsided enough to speak, he looked up at Mr. Ridley.

"Yeah i'm ok. Just a spontaneous migraine I guess." Rhythm said, still not quite sure what just happened but not wanting to worry the poor old man.

After the incident, Mr. Ridley decided it would be best if Rhythm went home and got some rest, stating that maybe the stress of school and work was getting to him. Rhythm knew that wasn't the case since school was painfully easy but went home anyway to save Mr Ridley some grief.