Episode 20: A Pause in Time

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Episode 20

A Pause in Time


Metal shelves loom over Jennifer as she sits in the corner of the cabin, next to Enoch. The shelves are packed with cans, blankets, tents and other things, but nothing of comfort. Nothing personal.

Jennifer pulls her legs up to her chest. She is trapped in a place without time, the place where eternity subsides, and thoughts are personified. She is trapped in the place where the past haunts the present and guilt lurks around each and every corner – Jennifer is trapped in Silence. Trapped within her own body, with her thoughts and memories, unable to speak aloud, but, rather, to forever hold her peace.

She swallows hard and glances at Enoch. He hasn’t said a word since Jennifer arrived. All Enoch has done is stare out silently in front of him.

“What happened?” Jennifer asks.

“She left,” Enoch states simply. “She left. All I wanted to do was help.”

Jennifer’s heart starts racing uncontrollably, “Ronita?” She asks, knowing the answer.

Enoch only nods.

“I am so sorry,” Jennifer says, wording what she had written down so quickly in Ronita’s place. Jennifer lets her guilt speak, but it doesn’t even take off the edge.

She turns to Enoch.

“I’m so, so sorry,” She repeats, but it does nothing to lighten his features or her guilt.

The sight of him makes her want to run away, but all she does is move back to her former position.

If she could she would climb out of her book and hide in some other book entirely, shut herself away in a book where Ronita doesn’t exist, where her life isn’t in ashes and where Enoch Reilly will never find out what Jennifer had done. But, that’s the problem, isn’t it? As long as time ticks, it doesn’t allow for secrets to be kept.

Now her secret is just a ticking clock – a time bomb – and one that must inevitably go off.

The cabin door opens and one of the volunteers walk in. She walks to Enoch and, with downcast eyes, hands him two pieces of paper. Jennifer’s heart jumps when she recognizes the folded Author’s Advocate letter, Enoch hands it to her and opens the second piece of paper.

Sorry...

“The apartment was empty,” She says. “There are a few people who would like to talk to you, about the girl. It could help us find her.”

Enoch nods and helps Jennifer up before he leaves. Off to answer questions that he has absolutely no answers to – but will give whatever he has.

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