Helen glanced at her watch, arm shaking. One minute to the Event Horizon. Panic bubbled up inside her, seemed to compress her lungs with its weight until she could not draw a full breath.

She felt a thousand things at once.

She was no longer afraid for herself. She was afraid for the people – everyone who didn’t listen, or didn’t know. There was no help, no chance.

30 seconds. 25.

Each second drew itself out, stetched and warped until a second seemed like a year, like a lifetime, like an eternity. She squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them. She closed them. She couldn’t decide whether or not she wanted to see it happen.

20 seconds. Event Horizon in 20 seconds.

Helen fell to the floor, legs too weak to hold her up any longer. She covered her head with her hands, though she knew it wouldn’t help.

Nothing would.

10 seconds. 5.

Helen held her breath. She could feel time pass over her as her watch clicked down to one. Down to zero.

Helen felt cold.

Then she felt nothing.