Vindle Quarkthorn and the Clock of Crows

Vindle Quarkthorn was born during a thunderclap, clutching a feather in his fist. He spent his days building strange clocks that ticked backwards, sideways, or not at all. One dusk, a black-feathered crow flew through his attic window, dropping a cracked gear onto his workbench. Vindle fitted it into a rusted timepiece, and instantly, the clock began to squawk and shimmer. Time folded. Crows filled the sky. Vindle stepped inside the mechanism and vanished, leaving feathers in his place. Now, every midnight, clocks in the village caw once—softly—and children whisper, “Vindle’s still winding.

By Charlie Jackson

28th July 2025