The Incredible Clockwork Boy

The Incredible Clockwork Boy wouldn't come out. One too many punters had made a joke about winding him up, and he had stomped off stage as hard as his delicate legs could manage. "Oh, he's ticked off now," a voice shouted as he went. He sat in his dressing room, door closed but not locked, and laid a hand over the keyhole in his chest. They key hung on the wall like a brass skull. Such a difficult thing, always to say: "I want to live tomorrow. Please help me."