The stopped clock

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

All evening, the clock above the workbench had kept Nora company. Its tick was small but determined, like a needle tapping at glass, and she timed her stitches to it while she waited for her uncle to return. Beyond the curtain, the watchmaker’s shop lay in darkness.

The clock missed a beat. Then another. The ticking ceased.

The silence seemed larger than the room. From the shop came the brush of cloth against wood, followed by the click of a drawer. Nora put down her sewing. She called her uncle’s name, but no one answered. Something moved close to the curtain, and she lifted the brass candlestick from the table.

A low whistle sounded. It was the first line of the tune her uncle always hummed while repairing watches. Her fear fell away so quickly that she nearly laughed. When he pushed aside the curtain, carrying a parcel beneath one arm, he stared at the raised candlestick in astonishment.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to present Nora’s feelings as she listens to the sounds around her. Support your answer with references to the passage.