Jack strolled up the path to the Finklestein home. He gave a warm greeting to Igor as he passed. The hunchbacked assistant waved, then went back to sorting assorted junk in one of the side yards. Jewel answered when he rang.

"Jack," she said. "We've been expecting you."

Jack nodded. He'd been off and on checking on with the doctor for thr last two days for any new theories.

"There's [i]definitely[/i] something wrong with the countdown clock," he said. "It changed again."

He followed Jewel up the ramp and into the lab. Zero floated behind them, happy enough to be with Jack.

"And Sally thinks there might be an issue with the town's water supply. That might be something else to look into."

~~~

Jack and Sally weren't the only ones to notice the clock. Clown saw it on the way to the sewers, and quickly wheeled around town in a panic. It wasn't too much longer before other monsters came from their homes and crypts to see what was going on.