Wednesday 4 December

Wednesday 4 December marks a shift from an intimate interlude to a tense morning at Ares Garden in Ellensburg. At 10:00, Chen arrives to find a police car in the parking lot and two officers stationed at the bar’s entrance; the scene establishes the date and the beginning of an encounter, but does not itself disclose its outcome.

Date and Narrative Placement

The date appears after a brief marker of intimacy, followed by a scene break and a new location heading for Ares Garden, Ellensburg. This placement sharply changes the immediate emphasis: the preceding moment gives way to Chen’s unexpected encounter with law enforcement. The date is presented without a year, so it identifies the day in the story’s sequence without establishing a calendar year.

The Morning at Ares Garden

At 10:00, Chen parks at Ares Garden and notices a police car. He had expected a quiet day, but the officers at the entrance unsettle that expectation. As he approaches, he recognizes one of them, Jacob, as a familiar customer. Chen takes a deep breath, anticipating difficulty, while both officers watch him with their hands in their pockets. He greets them and asks whether he can help.

Significance and Limits

The time marker anchors the police encounter to a specific morning and makes the disruption concrete: law enforcement is already waiting at the entrance when Chen arrives. His recognition of Jacob adds a personal familiarity to the otherwise formal scene, while his apprehension signals that the situation is not routine for him. The passage establishes a tense opening, but does not by itself confirm an arrest, explain why the officers are there, or show what follows.