blinding; an e. o'connor short story

prologue; letters to enoch

April 10, 1971

My dearest Enoch,

It's been a year now since I left and I can't begin to tell you how terribly I miss all of you. You most of all, of course. Not one day goes by when I don't think of you. I hope you think about me, too.
You won't believe all the places I've already been to! Remember when you told me you wanted to visit the Big Apple someday? Abe took me hollow-hunting there for a few days! Next time we'll go together. And it won't be about hollow-hunting at all!

Always yours,
Robyn

P.S.: Take a look at this picture I took in New York! I promise we'll go together one day. Just you wait!

June 7, 1987

Dear Enoch,

Have you heard? Germany is split in two parts now! - all thanks to the war. Abe and I went hollow-hunting again - in East Berlin this time (that's where the picture was taken!). He's doing well. So are his children and his wife. Please do tell Emma some of our tales or else she'll never forgive him. On that subject, please try to forgive me, but Miss Peregrine has forbidden I come home on Christmas Eve. I know the year is still long, but I'm not sure she'll ever let me come home before Abe's line brings forth another peculiar. And who knows when that'll be. The odds are his grandchildren might be peculiar - his children aren't. Since peculiarity does like to skip a generation I hope for both our sakes that I'm right. I miss you so much. I've been away for too long already. I hope to see you as soon as possible. Maybe the Bird will make an exception and let me come for your birthday.

Love you lots,
Robyn

April 23, 2001

Dear Enoch,

I haven't been out hollow-hunting in a few years now. Abe has gotten old, as absurd as it sounds. I think I might come home soon. Permanently, is what I mean. It's weird saying it, but I think Abe might not live too long anymore. Without the power of an ymbryne to keep resetting his body, he's become so tired. I can see it in his eyes, in the way he moves. Most of his grandchildren, I think, aren't peculiar, but there's one, his name is Jacob--I think he might have inherited Abe's powers. Abe takes so much care of him, much more than he ever cared for his own children. I believe he knows Jacob's special, and once he's old enough he'll tell him the stories about us are true--then I'll come home and bring Jacob with me. It'll be like a big family reunion.

I miss you so much, every day we've been apart since Miss Peregrine last allowed me to visit it's getting worse. Recently, I've retorted to crying myself to sleep. It's just not the same without you there to hold me. I miss the way you look at me when you wake up in the morning. I miss watching you put together your clay soldiers. I miss kissing you in front of Emma to piss her off. I miss taking care of the small ones with you. I miss you, I miss you, I miss you.

I'm sorry this turned so depressing. I hope to see you very soon and until then hang onto the thought of me. Hang onto the thought of seeing me again. Please, write soon or else I'll be afraid you've forgotten all about me.

With all the love in the world,

Robyn

P.S.: Please do tell Hugh a happy belated birthday from me. You know how he gets when I forget it.

author's note:
Sorry for the late return, but exams have literally been killing me (I'm not even kidding when I say that my hair is turning grey...). Hope you like what I did with the prologue--I wanted to give you a short insight on what it's been like for Robyn to be away [from Enoch] for so long. The first actual chapter is in the making and I might even publish it today. Perhaps I'll procrastinate it though, and then it might turn into next week... Anway, thanks for reading, commenting and voting.
Good luck to my fellow students, xx

story part written:
Tuesday, 6th December 2016 + Saturday, 25th November 2016

story part edited:
Tuesday, 6th December 2016