THREE
'…sent out the scout group that morning at dawn to investigate the second sector. They reported no disturbances—Master Sergeant Nase sent out the scout group that morning at dawn to investigate the second sector. They reported no disturbances the first day (see p. 15B), but that evening at—Master Sergeant Nase sent out the scout group that morning—'
Traitorously, her gaze drifts to the clock.
Only three minutes left.
She forces her eyes back down to the report, but she has read the same sentence countless times already. Nevertheless, she has to set an example, even if no one is around to learn from it.
After all, it has taken them a year to reach this point—many, many minutes that crawled along at the pace of a snail. She is sure she can survive a few more.
Mere minutes can convey the greatest changes.
This she knows.
She also knows the virtue of patience and endurance; her thawing at Maria's hands has not diminished her mastery.
Her fate is in the hands of another. This fact she cannot change, just as she cannot force time to go faster.
And so she returns her attention to the report in front of her. On a post-it note, she marks where she left off and jots down key points to review tomorrow. Tomorrow, when the lake of her mind is not buffeted by life-altering facts.
Time, she muses, is an odd thing: it is time to pack up. Time to leave. Time to rendezvous with Maria.
It is time to face the future.
a/n: Thank you for the reviews! However, I will reiterate: this is an experiment in brevity, thus chapters will largely be less than 500 words.
#9-14 still open.
~Teddy.
