Kacper always thought the attic was the dullest place in the whole house. Dust, old boxes and the smell of something that had forgotten what freshness smells like. But that Friday evening, when a strange sound pulled him out of bed, he decided to slip quietly up the creaking stairs. He wasn't expecting an adventure, much less what he would find there. In the middle of the attic stood a huge wooden clock with a pendulum. He had never noticed it before. The pendulum was swinging rhythmically, although, strangely enough, no one had winded it for years. The hands pointed surprisingly precisely to midnight, and faint reflections of moonlight glimmered around the dial, coming in through a tiny window. Kacper walked closer and then heard something that chilled the blood in his veins: - Better not get too close, young man.... Kacper jumped back and looked around nervously. It seemed to him that the voice reverberated throughout the attic, but he saw no one. After a moment, a quiet grunt sounded again, and then: - Here, here! Right in front of your nose! I don't shine a torch across your eyes, but I can talk. Kacper swallowed his saliva with difficulty and stuck his gaze at the clock. Of course it was impossible... But the pendulum moved slightly to the side, as if waving at him, and the dial moved its hands to the rhythm of an unfamiliar tune. - Who... who are you? - howled Kacper, trying to control the tremor in his voice. - The clock. I've been standing here longer than you can imagine. - The answer sounded surprisingly warm, even humorous. There was silence in the attic, broken only by the ticking. Kacper felt shivers run down his spine, but curiosity was stronger than fear. - Why are you talking? - he asked. - Because someone finally heard me, and that doesn't happen to just anyone,' replied Clock. - But now there is no time for unnecessary questions. The hands have almost touched midnight,' he added, and the silence thickened, as if it was waiting for something important itself. Kacper froze. The shadow of the pendulum lengthened and cut across the floor to his feet. At the same moment, a quiet creak came from behind the clock - someone or something had moved one of the old boards....