Ficlets

I sat frozen in the chair. My wrists were sore from being tied up for so long.
Suddenly the door opened, and an older man entered. He did not look too pleased. He glared at me with cold eyes, and then he spoke.
“I’m sure you are well aware of you’re crime by now,” he said in a low voice.
I didn’t speak, but I nodded. I was well aware of the crime I had not committed. The one I was wrongly accused of.
“The world is changing, Alex. We cannot just let crimes like these go unnoticed. In the old days, a lifetime in prison would suffice, but I’m afraid that is not the case anymore.”
The man pulled a pocket watch out of his pocket, and laid it on the table in front of me.
“This is no ordinary watch. In about an hour, you will be free to go, but I wouldn’t let this watch out of your sight if I were you. Once its tick ceases to exist, so will you. However, if you can complete three simple tasks, I will set you free from the deadly watch.”
Then the man left. It was just me and the watch, and time was ticking away.