The Town That Was Changed by Thirteen

The man`s dirty jacket was slowly strangling the clock keeper.As the gears ground round and round, the coat dug tighter and tighter around his neck. He could only manage to loosen it`s death grip very little by flailing about.Each stroke of midnight resounded like a hammer nailing his coffin shut. If it continued, he would be done for.
His face was turning purple as his lungs screamed out for air.His eyes were clouding over as the toll chimed more and more, ringing it`s way to twelve.He couldn`t even scream for help if he wanted to, the garment was tightening around his vocal chords, making sound impossible.The bell tolled twelve as he drew in his last breath.He prayed to God, " Please let me get loose , and I will change my ways and do 12 acts of kindness as a penance. The clocked chimed thirteen, as he slipped off into unconsciousness.
When he awoke, he became aware of the intense pain,then the other senses started to work. He could hear the beeping of the various life support machines and the smell of hospital strength disinfectant. His throat was swollen shut,but the good news was that he was still alive. He would definitely make good on his promise, but decided to change it to thirteen good deeds. That clock had chimed thirteen times.Being a sorry, bitter jerk was no longer an option for him.He would do a total turn around and become the man he used to be, once again. By taking advantage of his new lease in life, he now had a renewed sense of hope.
He would challenge others to pay it forward and match his thirteen acts of kindness.It was both scary and exciting to him.The thought of actually caring about other`s happiness was totally foreign to him. He would have never cared one way or another had it not been for the clock tower accident.
His wife`s death had left him so bitter and empty. They were married for thirty wonderful years and his whole life had been buried right along with her.The way she died was so violent and brutal. Not one person had stopped to help her as they drove by her lifeless body. He was convinced that she would still be here today if that police officer had happened upon her earlier.
The whole ordeal was so unfair and heartless. She would have given a stranger her last penny if they needed it. She was always volunteer to help everyone she could out. When she needed someone, where were they? Probably driving by her lifeless form and not stopping.When she died, so did he.The only difference was that he was left behind in his empty shell to suffer without her.The kind deeds that he did would be in her memory.
As soon as he was released from the hospital, he started his acts of kindness on the way home. He paid for the woman`s behind him fast food order. She was floored and very grateful.She smiled and agreed to return the favor times thirteen when he told her his story. He followed that by mowing the single mother`s lawn down the road.Every time he performed a random act, the recipient smiled and thanked him profusely.
After two weeks, he had accomplished his feat. As a matter of fact, he was the recipient of two random acts of kindness himself.Everyone in the small town was busy completing their thirteen acts.His project took off in a huge way.Alot of the townspeople were more caring and they started taking the time to care about others. The town began to be known as an all- American city. The distinction is only given to towns that have a low crime rated and high rate of quality of life. He started to feel alive again and learned that one person can truly make a difference.