Mute | A New Beginning

Chapter 6

It's strange to think that when you want time to go by faster, it always travels at a mockingly slow pace. It's as if the universe is playing a cruel joke on its inhabitants, almost in a sadistic way, like it takes great joy from watching things not go the way people want them to. This particularly was the case for Scarlett.

She couldn't wait until Wednesday rolled around and it was starting to become agonising to wait, try and complete some menial tasks, and then wait some more. The hours were ticking by slower than they were when she was 7, waiting as patiently as possible for the time to finally open her Christmas presents. Scarlett had already answered all the work emails that she could and even deep cleaned her kitchen cupboards, which she had been meaning to do for months now but could never find the time. Now, however, she seemed to have an infinite amount of time to kill.

When the not-so-long awaited day finally arrived, Scarlett's hand was practically vibrating from a mix of excitement, anxiety, and a hefty amount of coffee consumed early that morning when sleep was elusive. The meeting was scheduled for a few hours' time, but Scarlett was already ready to go and had been for quite some time now. The prospect of spending one-on-one time with Arlo sparked many thoughts about how it might go, whether it will end well and the two will know each other better, or if maybe the whole thing was a mistake and that they won't connect, and she will be left to continue looking at other places.

On the other end of the scale, 30 minutes away from Scarlett's house, time was moving much faster than Arlo appreciated.

When Scarlett had left their room on Monday, the girls had finished playing one more round of the game, of which Arlo still did not win, and by the time it was over, and the winner had finished boasting to the rest of the group, Mrs Moore re-entered the room, looking the most elated Arlo had ever seen her. The woman made her way directly over to the small girl after distractedly congratulating the victor when they made one last round of showing off, mainly aimed at the new member.

All of this was completely new to the child, and so she had no idea what was happening or how to act. She decided to remain as neutral as possible to hide the anxieties that she was feeling at being the sole focus of someone's attention. The woman asked for a word with the girl. Privately. Which does nothing but send the girl into a larger spiral of panic. This only worsens when she is informed that Scarlett wanted to see her specifically again, a concept that Arlo just couldn't wrap her head around at the moment.

However, at this announcement, Mrs Moore was so incredibly happy, and so little Arlo couldn't help but to give a hint of a smile to placate the woman and not potentially make her disappointed at her enthusiasm or lack thereof. Arlo was quickly informed that Scarlett was going to be coming back in two days' time, so Wednesday, and that Mrs Moore would be present the whole time, making her feel a little better about this sudden news.

With that information bomb dropped, Mrs Moore scooped the girl up into a tight squeeze, holding her there for a long moment before placing her back on her own two feet, and sending her back into the bedroom so that they could resume with their daily routines as best they could.

From that moment on, Arlo was dreading Wednesday. She wished with all her tiny might that time would freeze, like in some of the bedtime stories that had been read to her before. She wished that the evil witch would win and that the king and queen would lose to her magnificent powers, that they would never be able to save their kingdom and so everyone was forced to live Monday over and over and over again. She wished that Monday never ended.

At this point in her life, the phrase 'time flies when you are having fun' could not have been more incorrect. Time was moving so fast the small girl could barely keep up. One second they were getting ready for breakfast, she blinks, and then it seems they are getting ready for lunch, a deep breath in, and now dinner is over, and they are winding down for bed. It was impossible to think that a day had gone by already. Arlo had never really had anyone play a trick on her before, but she thinks that this would be a good one to play on your worst enemy.