Retro Matador Studios - No, Time is Tocking! (A short story)

A Short Story: No, Time is Tocking!

He built a machine to hold on to what time takes away.

Stanley awakens in a familiar yet fractured world, with a cryptic note urging him onward:

"Get to her."

No, Time is Tocking! began with three prompts from Writing Battle’s Harvest Owl 2026 competition: No Reception, an inventor, and an engagement ring. “No Reception” called for characters cut off from the outside world and modern communication during a critical moment. My interpretation took that isolation inward: what happens when you can no longer reach the people you love, even when they’re beside you?

The idea of Alzheimer’s came from one of my biggest fears—losing the memories of loved ones. Our family has experienced people forgetting those closest to them. My filmmaking partner, Elijah, also shared how his grandmother, one of his biggest advocates, began referring to his children simply as “those boys.” That stayed with me. There is something devastating about a person still being present while their recognition of the people they love begins to disappear.

The journey through shifting rooms was inspired by my love of "Cube (1997)", where crossing a threshold means never knowing what comes next. Doctor Who influenced the tragedy of Stanley: a brilliant inventor who believes he can create his way out of something he cannot bear to accept. His struggle even reaches the phrase “time is ticking.” He tries to correct himself, but the words become tangled. By the end, that correction reverses again as his time runs out.

The 500-word limit forced me to trust imagery and the reader’s imagination. I couldn’t explain every transition or memory; I had to leave enough clues to guide the journey while allowing readers to experience its uncertainty for themselves.

Ultimately, I wanted the ending to carry the weight of the inevitable. Creating is our greatest gift, but even brilliance, love, and the things we dream into existence cannot stop time.

The goal for the future of this story is to adapt No, Time is Tocking! into a screenplay.

Moving beyond the original 500-word limit will give us room to explore Stanley’s invention, his relationship with his wife, and the memories he’s fighting to preserve.

We want to bring the shifting rooms and fractured memories to the screen while keeping the story’s heart intact: a man using his greatest gift to fight something he cannot stop.

Movies start with an idea; that idea becomes a story.

Then you find yourself on a journey to use film to connect with

everyone.

Interested in Bringing This Story to Life?

We’re open to conversations with potential collaborators, producers, and funding partners who connect with No, Time is Tocking! and want to help develop it for the screen.

If this story speaks to you, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in Touch with us on our contact page.