The rain drummed against the library roof as Lena climbed into the attic. She was eleven and liked to fix little things. Olek shone a torch and pretended to be an explorer. Between the boxes stood a box with a note: "Do not touch. The clock." Lena didn't like such prohibitions. She lifted the lid. Inside lay a brass pocket watch, cool as ice. The second hand moved backwards, ticking quietly. - Can you see it? - whispered Olek. - Maybe it's broken. - Or it works differently - replied Lena and pressed the crown. The glass cracked and spilled milky light, but nothing was broken. On the inner flap someone had engraved the date, only written backwards. Beneath the date was the sentence: 'Set the time, the entrance will open'. Olek swallowed his saliva. - Entrance to where? - Until when - Lena corrected him. She set the hands to an hour that wasn't on the day's agenda. The air thickened. Dust danced in a spiral. A different smell came from downstairs, as if coals were burning in a furnace. The distant ringing of a tram became audible, although no trams ran in Birchwood. An old standing clock squeaked in the corner, although it had been stopped for years. The ticking fused into a single, deafening pulse. A circle of light appeared on the floor, like a thrown hula-hoop. - 'Lena, this is getting serious,' said Olek, taking a step back. The watch in her hand vibrated and pulled her hand towards the circle. - 'Do you hear that? - she asked. A child's laughter rang out, quiet but close. The light swung open like a door to another day. A shadow stood in the threshold and moved towards them.