~*~The Silent Witness~*~

Inspired by b00kish's story, The Hardest Part

My name is Cecil, although nobody really cares about that around here. It's my code name that matters... but I think my code name is pretty boring. "Kinch's Pencil." Yup, they couldn't even be creative and come up with something better, like, I don't know, Pointy?

Well, that wouldn't work tonight, because tonight, I don't have a point. Or, do I...?

Whenever I actually do have one, Kinch pushes down on my head so hard, and breaks the tip right off! He's not trying to... it's just nervous energy. I can tell by the way he sighs each time it happens.

I'd like to say I'm nervous for the men, too, but somebody around here has to be worried for me. On nights like this, I spend most of my time getting shorter and shorter as Kinch draws pointless doodles.

I can understand his frustration. I've understood it from the start. The first night we spent up together, when I was such a tall, sharp pencil... it was that night, when I realized that I was more temporary then I ever could have imagined. I'm sure I went down a whole inch!

I'm the only sign of Kinch's frustration. He never shows it to the guys, but if they could just look at me, they'd know. How else could a pencil get so small in just a few hours? Kinch never says anything as he draws out those lines and swirls, but he doesn't have to. I just know. I spend most nights staying up with him, waiting and waiting to hear footsteps on the ladder.

Of course, when the guys come back, it's on the desk with me, and he gets up, acting like everything's normal. They laugh about the mission, and Carter tells him about the BOOM. The Colonel pats them on the back, says, "Well done," and then sends them off to get ready for bed.

Maybe that's another thing that eats at Kinch. He hears, "Well done, mission accomplished," even though all he did was sit in the tunnel for hours. I don't know why he doesn't go out with them. Then again, they never tell me anything. I usually just have to rely on my guesses...

Maybe it's because he has to man the radio. Sometimes, we still get missions at midnight, you know. I end up being the one to write them down. Their missions never stop coming. I may be a lowly, quickly dying pencil, but that doesn't mean that I don't know humans need their sleep.

So, it goes without saying, these humans must have some helpful super power- they stay up day and night.

The Colonel told Kinch once that he didn't need to stay up, that everything would be fine, and to go to bed. You have to be crazy to believe that my human would listen to that nonsense. Even if he went to bed, all he would be able to do is stay awake and worry.

I mean, they're his friends. As far as I can figure, they're his best friends.

So, I guess that I'm doing my part in this mission. I'm helping Kinch get out his nervous energy, even if it comes at a big cost to me. I'm writing out all their missions, and all their orders from London, and all their messages from the Underground…you get the idea.

And, when I get too short, it's into the waste basket with me. Kinch can always get another pencil. We're easy to replace. But, what's literally killing me, is that Kinch knows he can't get other friends. Not friends like these.

They're not pencils like me. You don't just use them until they break, and then throw them away. You stay up hours into the night, hoping that they don't break…

Silence. Kinch glances at his watch, then reaches for the pencil sharpener.

Author's Note:

Yeah, I know you guys are thinking that I "went around the bend." Oh dear, Oconee Belle turned a pencil into a character…yes, I did. This story came to me as I was falling asleep in the floor with my dog, and I couldn't just throw the idea into the waste basket!

As I mentioned earlier, this story has been inspired by another story on this site. You guys should check out b00kish's story, The Hardest Part. It is really thought-provoking... Also, tomorrow's challenge for the Winter Reviewathon is to review a story about Kinch. I highly recommend reading The Hardest Part. You won't regret it!