Killing Time

Billy could not tear his eyes off the clock. “Tik...Tok....Tik...Tok...” The sound filled the dark cold room with an insistent resonance. When rain slashed against the window with sudden force, Billy jumped. His brain shifted into overdrive, thoughts rushing through his mind faster than the speed of light. What if my parents don’t come, what if it’s the five-o’clock killer? He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. “Tik, tok,” the hands on the face of the clock shifted ever closer to five. “I’ve got to stop staring at that clock”, he told himself. He walked into the foyer to clear his head. “CREAK,” a small, barely audible noise came from the floor above. Billy froze, his ears strained. Was someone there, Should he check it out?  He shook himself and told himself to get a grip. He turned to face the stairs. His foot hesitated above the first tread. “Tik ...Tok, Tik ...Tok,” the ticking seemed to intensify, the sound swelling to fill the house. “Is anyone there?” he called. Only the ticking clock answered.