I was given this pocket watch. It's broken. Doesn't work. Never has. But I wind it every day. And every day it's still broken. Silent. Waiting. I'll keep winding it, because one day ­ the day the world changes ­ it will start ticking again. That day is coming. The day when the world moves forward after 15 years of hell. And I'll be ready for it. The watch will tell me when. Because it will start, too.

But the oddest gift? That would be the voice of God in my head. I didn't ask for it. Didn't want it. It just is. Sometimes . . . most times, really . . . I don't know whether it's a gift or a curse. Because there's more to it than just God's Voice. Every now and then, I know things. About people. About their pasts. Their lives. Their thoughts. Even things that are going to happen but haven't yet. Sometimes terrible things. Things I can't do a damned thing about, which really pisses me off. I feel so helpless then. I mean, what's the use of knowing the future if you can't do anything about it? Is that a gift you'd want?