Annoy Instant

"Toby," Elias said, turning slowly in his swivel chair. "Do you know what 'annoy' means?"

Elias put his forehead against the floor. Some days, the world was just one giant, persistent itch. "Toby," Elias said, turning slowly in his swivel chair

Elias gripped his tweezers tighter. Focus, he told himself. He lowered the hairspring into place. Wheeze-puff. Wheeze-puff. Elias gripped his tweezers tighter

He had only been searching for five minutes when a small, rhythmic sound started up from the street outside. A car was idling, its bass-heavy music thumping a single, repetitive note that shook the very glass of his storefront. Wheeze-puff

Toby looked at the floor, then back at Elias, his eyes wide. "I... I can help find it? I have a magnet!"

Toby stopped mid-whistle, his cleaning rag frozen. "Uh, like when my sister hides my phone?"

Elias closed his eyes, counting to ten. A magnet on a mechanical watch was like a flamethrower in a library. "Just... go to lunch, Toby. For three hours."