A Hole in Time

The Hole - Chapter 21 - Outside Time?

I must have stood in front of my wardrobe for about an hour, just staring at my wedding dress. Thoughts are racing through my head so fast, I can barely keep up. When Liam and I destroy the computer and find a way out of the Dome, this dress will have to come with us. I cannot bear the thought of leaving it behind. But I will not be wearing this to walk down the street to the Hierarchy building. I will not have to sign the Hierarchy's paperwork and have them issue me with a house to live in with Liam.

I shake myself out of this. Thinking about it is not going to make it happen. If I want Liam, John, Scarlett, myself, and everyone else to get out of the Dome and out from under the influence of a computer, I am going to need to start working. I push my dress to the back of my wardrobe, the touch of the smooth fabric renewing my want to get out of here. I close the door with finality and find John standing in my doorway. He smiles and bows. His back is still to the camera, so he has to keep up appearances.

We walk down the stairs, apparently following John's microchip instructions to go on a walk with Liam and Scarlett. I had grabbed my backpack as an afterthought, remembering that I wanted to talk to Liam about what I found. Liam and Scarlett are waiting Outside the front door, so we start to walk straight away. John and Scarlett are the ones receiving instructions, so we let them go first. At the end of our street, they stop. I quietly ask what is wrong and John answers. "We were only told to walk, not where to walk." I look around at each street and I see lines of 17 year olds, just standing there.

"John, let's just go back home. We can talk there." I think that home would be the best choice. Liam and I do not want the computer to know about our field, so we cannot go there. Liam agrees with my suggestion of going home, so John and Scarlett, without any instructions to follow, agree and we all head home. The other kids are still standing there, with nothing to do and nothing to say. I find it almost sad, and also scary. If the computer has not told these kids where to walk, will not it find something strange about John and Scarlett going home? My fears are stilled when all the others go home as well. The instructions must have been given a few seconds after we decided.

At home, we all walk up the stairs and into my room. I quickly close the door and breathe a sigh of relief. We are as safe as we can be here. No cameras, no microphones, but still, I do not like the feeling of being in a building. Liam is the first one to speak. "Okay, lets' get to work. Gracie, have you had a chance to look at all of those numbers in the schematic book? The first two pages are just numbers. I have looked at the words on the next few pages." I nod and reach into my backpack. I pull out the pieces of paper and show them to Liam.

"I have figured out the equations, Lee. I remembered seeing something similar in one of our history books, so I looked through them and I found this. It says something about a map." I hand the book to Liam, showing him the part I am talking about. I look closer at the map in the book, with the numbers along one side and the top. Liam slaps the book shut and I jump.

"Gracie, You are a genius. This has to be a map. We were not supposed to get the schematic book. The man who built the computer would have wanted it to go to HIS younger self. He did not want us to find these equations or the riddles either." I must look confused because Liam stops. "What riddles, Lee?" Liam reaches into his pocket and pulls out a few pieces of paper. He smoothes them out on my desk and starts to read.

"I found these riddles in the book, so I wrote them out and tried to figure them out. The first one does not make much sense. It is almost as if he wrote a message in riddle form, just to confuse me. Maybe you can help me understand it." I laugh. "Lee, you want ME to help YOU with words?" He smiles at me, knowing my short-comings when it comes to words. Liam has frequently tried to help me understand my English studies, but it still makes no sense. I can understand numbers so much better. "Okay, Lee, read it out and I will try and help." Liam reads from the piece of paper.

I am not now

I have not been

Do you know how

To make me seen?

I can be found

In a place you cannot see

I am not to one bound

I am "forever" free.

Will you figure it out

Can you find the place

Tis no time for doubt

Can you find the hidden space?

"What do you think, Gracie? I find it really confusing. I mean, what is he saying? He is not now, but he has not been? Is he from the future or something?" I nod my head. "He might be from the future. But, not quite as far into the future as Mikey. I think. Very confusing." I look over as John and Scarlett and they look just as confused as we feel. "Grace, Liam, I think you might have missed the really confusing part. He says he can be found where you cannot see. Okay, that makes a bit of sense. He would be hiding, right? So, what does he mean with the 'not to one bound, forever free' bit?"

"John has a really good point there, Lee. What is he not bound to?" Liam smiles and points to the word 'forever'. "Gracie, look at it. "Forever" is in quotations. He is talking about forever. Forever equals time. He is free from time." I slap my hand to my head. Why did not I think of that? "Of course. What better place to control time than from OUTSIDE time? Now we just have to figure out how to bring him back into our time." Liam shakes his head. "There are steps here, Gracie. Do not get ahead. I think, if we follow the list of steps, we will be able to figure it out."