The DailyDyl

The sun was shining and it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Strolling down the street, I noticed a quaint stand operated by Mr. Blair. In need of a new watch since my old one had broken, I was in luck as Mr. Blair had some on display. While browsing, a sudden outburst caught my attention—an old lady from across the street was screaming at me.

“Don’t buy the watch!!” she shouted, appearing as if she intended to cross over and explain her warning.

I glanced back at the watches for a moment, then back at her, ready to inquire, “Why shouldn’t I buy a watch?” To my surprise, when I shifted my gaze to where I thought she would be, she had mysteriously disappeared.

Mr. Blair, a tall figure with raven-black hair, approaches me. “Hello! I can see you’re interested in the watches I have here,” he remarks, gesturing toward the array of timepieces on display.

“Yeah, they’re all nice. I can’t decide which one I like the most,” I respond.

He studies me thoughtfully. “Hmm… I believe I have the perfect watch for you,” he says, selecting a watch from the table. “This one seems ideal. Give it a try.” He extends his hand, presenting me with the watch.

I take the watch from his hand and put it on. “Wow, it’s really nice!” I exclaim, smiling as I admire the timepiece on my wrist.

Curious about the price, I inquire, “How much is the watch?”

Mr.Blair responded with, “Fifty dollars.” 

I handed him the fifty dollars and in exchange, he handed me the box holding the watch. I was now on my merry way.

The next morning I woke up and went to check the time on my phone; it was dead. I checked the time on my watch and saw it was 7:30. 

“What a wonderful Monday morning,” I said sarcastically, huffing. 

I then jumped out of my bed and rushed to get ready. I was already late since my phone had died. I knew I was going to be in so much trouble for being late, plus I had a test today and forgot to study. 

As I was getting ready I looked at the box the watch came and saw a small piece of paper tucked away. I didn’t recognize it until now, it read: 

“To go back in time, turn the dial back. To go forward in time, turn the dial forward. Have the date and time in your mind clear in your head then tap the watch face two times, but be warned, don’t use it too much or your time will be cut short. ” 

I gazed at the watch, half-expecting it to be some quirky gimmick aimed at luring buyers. Despite my skepticism, curiosity got the better of me, and even though I was running late, I decided to give it a try. “What’s a few more minutes?” I reasoned with myself.

With the watch snug on my wrist, I turned the dial backward, observing the clock’s hands retreat. Contemplating my options, I thought of going back to yesterday afternoon after bringing the watch home. This way, I could have ample time to study and ensure my phone didn’t die, preventing my alarm from failing. Tapping the watch face twice, a quick flash surrounded me. As I looked around, I found myself back home, and checking the time on my watch revealed it was just after one. Scratching my head in bewilderment, I hadn’t anticipated it to work. Swiftly, I immersed myself in studying, aiming to be better prepared for the test. Before heading to bed, I ensured my phone was charged, guaranteeing my alarm would go off as planned.

 

The next morning, which was Monday again, my alarm went off. I see that it’s 6:00 in the morning. I once again get ready, this time not as rushed since I have plenty of time to catch the bus. 

Later, I go to sit down in my class where I take the test. The teacher put the test down and I looked at the questions, realizing that I studied for the wrong class. I didn’t want to have to go back in time and study again, this time for the right test. Instead, I decided to wait until I get the results back for this test and go back in time and retake it. It may be cheating but, with time travel, what’s there to lose? 

The next day, as anticipated, I received an “F” on the test. During class just before the test, I seized the opportunity to grab the results paper, which displayed the correct answers. Tapping the watch face twice, a flash of light enveloped me. Upon looking around, I found myself outside the class. Glancing at my phone, the time displayed was 8:55 a.m on Monday.

I put the test results that I have in my pocket and wait to take the test again so I can get a passing score. 

After completing the test, I turn the dial on my watch forward, contemplating the moment I receive the test results. Tapping the watch face twice, another flash of light envelops me. As I look around, my teacher is distributing the test results to everyone. I receive mine, and this time it’s an A+. Overjoyed, I am grateful for the chance to fix it.

Later that day, upon arriving home, I happened to pass by a mirror and noticed a few strands of gray hair. “I’m only seventeen, how could I be going gray already?!” I gasped in surprise.

I thought nothing of the gray strands and continued with my day. As time passed, hunger struck, and not wanting to wait until the usual dinner time of 7:30 p.m., I decided to use my time-traveling watch to get an early meal. Despite the potential for more adventurous endeavors, the convenience of time travel appealed to my immediate appetite. Glancing at my watch, I turned the dial forward, envisioned arriving in the future just before dinner, and tapped the watch face twice. In an instant, a flash of light surrounded me, and I found myself at home, the air filled with the aroma of a delicious dinner. I walked down the stairs, ready to enjoy my early meal.

“Hey, mom! When’s dinner?” I ask her.  

She looks at me, “You missed it. We ate a bit early tonight at around 6 p.m”. 

Realizing I needed to return to the early dinner time, I spun the dial once again and envisioned going back to 6 p.m. Tapping the watch face twice, another flash surrounded me. Suddenly, I was back in my room, and the clock showed exactly 6 p.m. I heard my mother calling me down for dinner, and I eagerly went downstairs to find a delightful meal of Macaroni and Cheese—my favorite.

During the night, I found myself struggling to sleep, waking up around midnight and surprisingly not feeling tired at all. Unwilling to endure boredom in bed, I opted to use the watch to fast forward to the time my alarm would go off. Turning the dial forward, I thought about reaching the moment of my alarm and tapped the watch face twice. With another flash, I heard my alarm, signaling the start of my morning routine. I promptly got ready for school, had breakfast, and headed to my bus stop. Upon arrival, my neighbor informed me that the bus had come ten minutes ago. I checked the time on my watch in disbelief.

“I guess the bus came early today,” I sighed without hesitation. I turn the dial on my watch back and think about going ten minutes back and tap my watch face two times. Just like the previous times, there was a flash and I was at my bus stop now just as the bus was arriving. 

“Perfect!” I said, excited that I made the bus. 

Upon arriving at school on the bus, I approached my friend to chat before the day officially began. To my surprise, she pointed out that my hair was grayer. Rushing to the bathroom, I discovered that the right half of my head was entirely gray. Fortunately, I had a hair appointment scheduled for the weekend to address the issue. Unwilling to spend the day with people staring at my hair, I decided to skip ahead to the weekend for my hair appointment. Looking down at my watch, I turned the dial forward and envisioned it being Saturday around noon—the time of my hair appointment. Tapping the watch face twice, a familiar flash of light surrounded me, and I found myself at my destination.

I look around and see I’m right in front of my hair salon. I think to myself how powerful this watch is; it even works as a teleporter! I walk inside my hair salon and wait for my name to be called; sitting on a white fluffy chair reading a magazine. 

  “Piper!” My hairstylist calls to let me know it’s my turn. 

I walk over to the chair. My hairstylist looks at my hair, shocked about how gray my hair was for a seventeen-year-old girl. She quickly goes and gets the supplies to color in the greys. 

My hairstylist asked me, “How long ago did you notice the gray?” 

I responded with, “Only a few days ago, but it was only a few strands and then all of a sudden it got crazy! Which doesn’t make any sense!”

My hairstylist nodded in agreement. After a while, my hair was done and it was back to its natural black color. I thanked my hairstylist for fixing my hair and left so I can go back to school. I do the same routine as I have been doing and bring myself back to Wednesday.

In the school bathroom, I checked the mirror and was relieved to see that my hair was still black. Leaving the bathroom, I headed to class. However, upon sitting down, I noticed everyone in my class staring at me.

“Why are you all staring at me?” I inquired, puzzled by their attention.

One of the boys in my class pointed out that my face was wrinkled like an old lady. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. My face was wrinkled. How did it get so wrinkled from the last time I was here?! I thought to myself. I had no idea how to fix this so I had no choice but to go on with my day. I sighed and headed back to my class. The rest of the day was mostly people making fun of my face.

The next day, Thursday, I woke up and examined myself in the mirror. My hair was still black, but I noticed that my hairstylist had missed a few spots, as there were some strands of gray that caught my attention. To my dismay, my skin remained wrinkled. Puzzled and concerned about the changes happening to me, I decided I couldn’t face school in this state and opted to skip the day. Concealing my wrinkled skin with a hoodie and sweatpants, I ventured into town, hoping to find a spa that could offer a treatment to help alleviate the wrinkles.

At the spa, the receptionist told me that they are booked until Friday at 2:00. I made an appointment with her. I didn’t want to have to wait a whole day to get my wrinkles out. I walk outside, turn the watch dial forward and think about it being tomorrow at 1:55 and tap my watch face two times. There was a flash again and I was in front of the spa. I check the time on my watch and it reads 1:55. I walk into the spa and tell the receptionist that I’m here. Not long after, one of the employees took me to begin my spa treatment. The lady began my treatment. During the treatment, she asked my age. I told her that I was seventeen. 

She sounded shocked and replied with, “Oh dear I thought you were sixty-something!” I was silent for the rest of the treatment, annoyed at her unprofessional outburst, and didn’t say anything to her. 

After the treatment, I was heading home and got a call from my mother. She was not very happy. 

“How dare you skip school for two days!!” She screamed at me over the phone. 

I apologized to my mother over the phone, assuring her it wouldn’t happen again, and hung up. Realizing I needed to return to Thursday to avoid skipping school, I checked my appearance in my phone’s camera to ensure I had no wrinkles. Thankfully, I found none, bringing relief. Turning the dial back on my watch, I envisioned it being Thursday around school time and tapped the watch face twice. In an instant, a flash transported me to the school bathroom. However, as I looked in the mirror, I discovered that my hair had turned gray once again, and the wrinkles had reappeared. It was then that I began to comprehend the strange phenomenon affecting me.

I remembered the small piece of paper that was packed alongside the watch: 

“To go back in time, turn the dial back. To go forward in time, turn the dial forward. Have the date and time in your mind clear in your head, then tap the watch face two times, but be warned, don’t use it too much or your time will be cut short.”  

I understood my time was running out. Realizing that time was slipping away, my immediate concern was to prevent the use of the watch on Monday. Failing a test seemed trivial compared to the urgency of the situation. Acknowledging my need for caution, I hastily turned the watch dial back, envisioning it being Monday when I initially used the watch for time travel, and tapped the watch face twice. A familiar flash occurred, but when I looked around, I found myself not in my room but in the school bathroom. Stepping out, I encountered my past self from a few days prior, witnessing the watch glitching. With time ticking away, an idea sparked in my mind—it was my last hope!

I ran to Mr. Blair’s shop and told him what happened. 

Mr. Blair turns around. “Oh, Piper! See, your time is running out. There is nothing I can do for you;  however, I do want to thank you for making a deal with the Devil,” He snickers. 

I feel sick. The room is beginning to spin. I was losing hope. 

“Well, you could try and stop yourself from buying the watch, but you better hurry because you don’t have much time,” He says, laughing a sinister laugh. 

I had never felt such fear before. The revelation of making a deal with the devil by buying the watch from Mr. Blair left me in shock. With the last ounce of energy and hope I possessed, I quickly turned the dial on my watch back, focusing on the moment right before I purchased the watch, and tapped the watch face two times. In an instant, a flash surrounded me. As I looked around, I found myself across the street from where I had obtained the watch, witnessing my past self about to seal the ominous deal. Overwhelmed with urgency, I screamed from across the street,

“Don’t buy the watch!!” I then realized I was the old lady telling myself to not buy the watch. 

Before I could cross the street I heard a loud ticking sound and then nothing. I hear footsteps approaching. 

“Hello again, Piper. You should have been more careful with time,” says a familiar voice, though I can’t identify it. My surroundings remain obscured; I couldn’t see anything. It was the end for me. My time had run out. Following that, I never heard or saw anything again. I suppose I didn’t have all the time in the world.