A solemn silence surrounds the Temple of Time, sometimes punctuated by the sound of quiet weeping or soft whispers.
But in another six weeks, the temporary sanctuary built to help heal the pain of Parkland will be gone.
The temple, at 9551 W. Sample Road in Coral Springs, will go up in flames on May 19, with a ceremonial burn taking place at 7 p.m.
The 35-foot-high wooden temple, built by California artist David Best and his 24-person crew, opened on Feb. 14, one year after 17 people were killed and another 17 injured in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High.
Thousands have visited the temple since it opened, leaving behind messages of love, hope and pain on its walls.
The messages were simple but heartfelt, scrawled on practically every inch of wood with colored markers placed at the temple.
“Hope you find peace,” wrote one visitor.
“We miss you angels,” wrote another.
“Some are heartfelt messages to the parents who lost their children or to the children who lost their parents,” said Lynne Martzall, a spokeswoman for Coral Springs, home to nearly half of the students who attend Stoneman Douglas.
Some visitors have left behind shirts and stuffed animals or mementos.
“People are leaving behind a painful memory,” Martzall said. “And that’s what the temple was meant for. There’s very little room to write.”