The Time Travelling Clock

By Derek Jee

Lara and her brother Adam love going to see their grandfather but this time their visit is a little different. Having discovered a magical clock, both Lara and her brother have no idea of the adventures that they have in store...
The Time Travelling Clock is an exciting adventure story which combines history and adventure and will appeal to all children and young adults.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: May 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370658206

Derek Jee

Derek Jee is a husband and father of two children. He currently lives with his family in France near Paris. He has always loved reading stories to his children. One day he decided to write one for them. Hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as they enjoyed listening to it.

Book preview

About the author

Derek Jee is a husband and father of two children. He currently lives with his family in France near Paris. He has always loved reading stories to his children. One day he decided to write one for them. Hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as they enjoyed listening to it.

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Dedication

To my children and wife for the total joy that they have brought me, and for making me realise what is important in life.

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THE TIME TRAVELLING CLOCK

Published by Austin Macauley at Smashwords

Copyright 2017 Derek Jee

The right of Derek Jee to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with the written permission of the publisher, or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is

available from the British Library.

www.austinmacauley.com

THE TIME TRAVELLING CLOCK

ISBN 9781786939319 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781786939326 (E-Book)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

First Published in 2017

AustinMacauley

CGC-33-01, 25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf, London E14 5LQ

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Chapter One

Lara loved sitting on her grandad’s lap listening to his stories. Not that she thought that the stories were that enjoyable, she preferred to read her books on ponies for story excitement. But being on his lap listening to his voice whilst the fire crackled was her idea of heaven.

It was a cold November morning, the sun was bright and lit up the room and felt warm. The fact that the fire was burning made the room slightly too warm. She stared at the dust specks that danced in the air that rose from the flames.

Well did you enjoy that story Lara? her grandad asked.

She hadn’t actually been listening at the end but nodded nonchalantly anyway and asked for another.

Not right now little lovely, maybe tonight, but I have got something to show you, answered her grandfather.

Lara stepped down from her grandad’s lap and looked up at him. He loved her very much, her sea green eyes, her shoulder length light brown hair which appeared golden as it reflected the sunlight. But most of all he loved her kindness, her cautious sense of adventure and her joy for life. She skipped out of the lounge as her grandad walked after her.

Outside the brightness of the crisp day made the late morning frost glisten on the wet grass. Lara regretted not having taken her coat but knew that they wouldn’t be outside for too long. As they walked past the garage she heard her dad and brother, Adam, laughing and playing table tennis. Her Mum was counting the points scored. Her Dad had just cheated according to Adam and both were giggling about it. She loved weekends like these at her grandparents when the family was together.

Lara ran ahead but suddenly realised that she wasn’t sure where her grandfather was taking her. She looked back and saw that he was heading towards the barn.

Oh no! she thought – he isn’t going to show me his old car AGAIN. Her grandad had an old Bentley that he stored in the barn and had said one day would look as good as new. He had been telling her this for years, for as long as she could remember, but the state of the cranky old vehicle had never changed as far as she could judge. She smiled with affection as they approached the car. To her surprise they walked past it, although grandad couldn’t resist tapping his hand on the boot and mumbling that she’ll look like new one day. They went to a room at the back of the barn that she had never noticed before. Her grandad struggled to pull down the rusty handle of the door, and struggled even more to force the tired old wooden door open. He finally managed and led the way, a gentle smile at Lara indicating that she should follow. She stepped into the room and saw nothing at first, her eyes needed to adjust to the obscurity. Slowly they did and the area was virtually empty apart from a wheelbarrow with a rusty old rake head in it, a metal bucket containing some old grey cement that had gone hard years before and an item in the corner about the size of a man concealed under a thick dark protective cover. Her grandad walked over to it and removed the cover carefully. Beneath stood a magnificent old grandfather clock.

I’ve never shown you this before, he remarked. It used to belong to my grandfather.

Lara was fascinated by the object. She stared at the face, the clock hands, and the wood of the casing. All of it was in remarkably good condition. She could see a pendulum that hung motionless behind the glass door and a shiny spindly key stuck out from a gold painted lock.

Her grandad delicately took hold of the small key and turned it. He opened the door and gave the pendulum a delicate shove.

Listen, he said. Sure enough, Lara could perceive in the silence of the barn a barely audible tick-tick, tick-tick. The pendulum swung from side to side and Lara stared at it. Then a very strange thing happened as she looked into the casing of the antique. The inside of it appeared larger than the outside. It made her think of watching Dr Who when he used his TARDIS. She looked at the outside and compared it to the inside. It was certainly larger, about