A Desert Town

In a barren desert, there is a forgotten town with only an old man and an old cat. The old man's name was Edmund. He was once the only clockmaker in the town, but the passage of time took away everything, leaving only him and the cat named Hourglass. Every day, Edmund would build a huge hourglass with sand in the central square of the town. He said it was to remind himself that time is precious, even in this place that time has forgotten. One day, a lost traveler broke into the town and looked at Edmund's hourglass in surprise. The old man told him that everyone's life is like this hourglass, no matter how long it is, it will eventually run out. The traveler was deeply touched and decided not to get lost anymore but to cherish every moment. Under Edmund's guidance, he found his way home. And Edmund still piles up his hourglass every day, waiting for the next person who needs to be reminded. The hourglass cat lay quietly at the old man's feet, as if guarding the last secret of this town - even if the world forgets you, time will not. This novel and its characters are purely fictitious. Any similarity is purely coincidental and should not be imitated.