The Time Traveling Watch

Lucas kicked the attic door, sending dust whirling in the afternoon sunshine. He felt bored even though summer vacation had barely started.

He mumbled, brushing past boxes of his grandparents’ relics, “There’s gotta be something cool here.” His fingertips stroked something metallic and frigid.

Whaa.

It shone in his palm like any pocket watch he had ever seen. When he slanted it, its silver surface was carved with whirling stars and small gears that appeared to move. On the rear were etched the words “Tempus Fugit.”

“Found something intriguing.”

Lucas almost let the watch fall. Grinning, his granddad stood in the gateway.

Grandpa, what’s this?

“Ah.” The eyes of the old guy glittered. “That is not only a watch, Lucas. It’s essential. 

“A key to what?”

“To time itself.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Grandpa’s smile faded. “It’s not a toy. If you wind it, you’ll travel but only for one hour. And whatever you do, don’t let the Clockwork Crow.”

“Okay, okay,” Lucas interrupted, already twisting the crown.

A golden light erupted.

And the attic vanished.

Lucas stumbled onto a dirt road, gasping. The air smelled of smoke and horses. Men in tricorn hats hurried past, shouting.

“The British are coming!”

“No way,” Lucas breathed. “This is 1776!”

A boy shoving pamphlets into his hands snapped him back to reality. “You just gonna stand there? Help me deliver these!”

“Who are you?”

“Ben. Printer’s apprentice.” The boy wiped ink-stained hands on his apron. “Now move! These are for the Congress!”

Lucas’s heart pounded. Benjamin Franklin? But a soldier riding on horseback charged down the street before he could enquire.

Redcoates! Run!.

Ben snatched Lucas’s arm and pulled him down an alley. The watch in Lucas’s pocket grew warm.

Tick. Tock.

“I have to go!” Lucas blurted.

“What? Now?”

The golden light swallowed him again.

Back in the attic, Lucas collapsed, dizzy.

“Told you,” Grandpa said mildly.

“That was AMAZING!” Lucas jumped up. “I met Ben Franklin! I have to go back!”

“No.” Grandpa’s voice was firm. “The watch has rules. One: You only get an hour. Two: you can’t take anything back. And three”

“Yeah, yeah, the Clockwork Crow.” Lucas waved him off. “What even is that?”

Grandpa’s face darkened. “A thief of time. It wants the watch. If it gets it, you’ll be trapped wherever you are forever.”

Lucas gulped but didn’t listen. Over the next week, he traveled again and again:

• 1863: He stood in the crowd as Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, moved by the president’s words.

• 1920: A girl his age thrust a “Votes for Women” sign into his hands, her determination contagious.

• 1969: He watched, awestruck, as a rocket roared toward the moon.

Each time, the watch’s ticking grew louder, its light flickering.

On his fifth trip in 1929, Lucas gaped at the towering buildings in New York City.

“This is incredible!”

A shadow passed overhead.

Caw!

The Clockwork Crow dove at him, its metal wings whirring, red eyes glowing.

“Give me the watch!” it screeched.

Lucas ducked, but the crow’s talons scraped the watch’s glass.

CRACK!

The watch sparked. The golden light sputtered.

“No!” Lucas frantically wound it.

And landed knee-deep in a dust storm.

Lucas coughed, squinting through the swirling dirt. A small farmhouse stood ahead, its paint peeling. A girl in a patched dress watched him from the porch.

“You lost?” she called.

“Uh… yeah.”

“Well, come in before the storm gets worse.”

Inside, the girl—Maggie—split her meager dinner with him: a slice of bread and thin soup.

“You shouldn’t waste food on me,” Lucas said guiltily.

“Ma says kindness doesn’t cost nothin’,” Maggie replied.

The watch in his pocket was ice-cold now, its crack spreading. Lucas’s chest tightened.

What if I’m stuck here?

He examined the watch under Maggie’s oil lamp. One gear was misaligned. Remembering Grandpa’s lessons, he carefully nudged it back into place.

The watch hummed.

Back in the attic, Lucas threw his arms around Grandpa.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t listen; the crow almost got me.”

“I know,” Grandpa said softly. “But you fixed it. And you learned.”

“Learned what?”

“That time isn’t just seconds and minutes. It’s people. Choices. Moments that matter.”

Lucas thought of Ben’s bravery, Maggie’s kindness, Lincoln’s words…

“I get it now,” he whispered.

Grandpa smiled. “Then the watch did its job.”

Lucas kept the watch but didn’t use it to chase adventure anymore.

Instead, he wrote down every story, every person he’d met.

Because some magic wasn’t for changing time.

It was for remembering.

Are you enchanted by The Time Traveling Watch and its thrilling journeys through history?

If Lucas’s adventures through time captivated you, there’s so much more to explore! At Storieslet, we weave unforgettable tales—fantasy epics, heartwarming fairy tales, spine-tingling horror, and mysteries that keep you guessing. Whether you crave daring quests, magical stories, or lessons hidden in legend, our stories transport you to worlds beyond imagination. Dive into our collection today, where every page sparks a new adventure!