Climbing My Clock Tower

magro_kr via Compfight

I’ve been fascinated with clock towers in stories for a long time.

It started with Puss ‘n Boots Travels Around The World, a cartoon no one has seen but which is the first film to leave a deep impression on me.

Based loosely on Around the World in 80 Days, the cartoon has Puss ‘n Boots racing against time to circumnavigate the world and finally reach the top of the clock tower in his city within 80 days. He’s pursued by villains and waylaid by distractions and so forth. Just in time, he reaches home but must escape the villains trying to keep him from reaching the top of the tower.

The bell begins to chime 12. Crazy action ensues. And there he is, hanging on the rope of the bell when the last toll rings out.

Exciting, exciting stuff for a little boy.

Many years later, enter The Castle of Cagilostro, another cartoon too few people have seen, with a fabulous climax in a clock tower. They even fight upon the hands of the clock! 

How wonderful for a much older boy!

With the approach of the hour, the moving gears, the intricacies and the heights and the sense of time running out, a clock tower is an exquisite place for a climax. They show up in such varied movies as The Great Mouse Detective, Shanghai Knights, and Hugo.

It was only a matter of time until I wrote my own version.

I started the short story probably two years ago, and it sat unfinished, but certainly not forgotten. Again and again it returned as my mind puzzled out how to construct it.

It’s a different beast than the movies mentioned above. It has much more in common with Bradbury than with Miyasaki.

But it’s just as fascinating to me. And, I hope it will be fascinating to you as well.

Coming soon.