The Clock Winder by Iain Cameron Williams
published December 25, 2024:
The Great Clock of Turnbridge was no ordinary clock. Some believed it had special powers, while others thought it was full of visual trickery. In truth, only one person knew exactly what secrets lay hidden inside the clock, and that person was the town's Clock Winder.
Oh! I almost forgot. There was one other person who knew, a boy who mysteriously disappeared the same night the clock was completed.
The Clock Winder: a short story