The Pattern
Hannah pulled a banana out of her knapsack and sat down beside the steps of the school. Several of the other children her age were playing. She however had other things on her mind. Last night she had seen them again, at first they had respected the borders of the schoolyard, but as with the rest of the world the sanctity of things church related was coming into question. Morally corrupt- the church and its school affiliation were in danger.
She had received an invitation, an escape from the shadows. She was excited, and scared. Usually she prayed over big decisions, but this time, she decided to go with her gut instinct. She hadn't decided not to turn to God she just knew what felt right. After her decision was made, she packed her bags and sat down to wait. It was a feeling she had, and her feelings usually were on target.
"Hannah Banana!" one of the chubby rich schoolgirls taunted from the safety of a few hundred feet away. Hannah didn't bother to look at the girl. She didn't have a chance to avoid criticism from these people, and she knew it.
Hannah's eyes focused on a man and woman walking up the path. The woman wore dark shades that reminded her of the celebrity style bug eyes. She appeared to be a diminutive figure as she walked beside a striking tall man. The man's eyes were uncovered, and they were brilliant blue. Both wore dark pantsuits, with dark shoes. The woman's head turned in her direction and Hannah knew that she was about to be retrieved.
Smoothing her plaid skirted uniform she stood up letting her bag dangle in front of her too thin legs. A strand of honey colored hair that would have matched her mother's slid over her face, and she tucked it behind a petite ear. The woman smiled, and she looked like a toothpaste ad.
For a moment Hannah wondered if the nuns would fight to keep her, but in the end she decided that these people would do all that they could to make the transition appear smooth and natural. They would find some way to extract her from the situation without causing too much fuss with the school. The man walked to her and wrapped his arms around her warmly, a friendly greeting.
"Do you remember me Hannah?" he asked with false cheer in his voice. "I'm your father's brother, Uncle Mark."
Hannah looked into his eyes and judged him to be a liar. Bending forward she hugged him back and whispered in his ear "You are lying. Are you with the Pattern?"
The man blinked at her and his smile broadened and seemed more genuine. "This is my wife Annie, we are going to take you to live with us."
More lies, but the blink seemed to tell her that she had surprised him. She liked the idea that she had thrown this man off his kilter. It meant she wasn't too many steps behind him. Extending her hand to "Annie" Hannah allowed the pair to lead her up the steps and into the building.
"Hannah?" Sister Marguerite was the first to see her nestled between the towering adults. The woman pulled Hannah a little closer, a very warm and secure embrace.
"Won't you do the introductions niece?" the man asked smiling at the nun.
"Sister, this is my Uncle Mark, and my Aunt Annie." Hannah wondered if the nun would see the lies in her eyes as she spoke, but the nun was staring avidly at the adults and so she knew she would get away with it.
The so-called "Uncle Mark" pumped the nuns hand excitedly. "We've been searching everywhere for Hannah. Her mother left no forwarding address. We were in Africa when- when things went downhill, no idea what happenedÂ…"
"We don't need to discuss that in front of Hannah, really Mark, be sensitive." Annie admonished touching Hannah's shoulder lightly. "Perhaps Hannah and I could go pack while you sort things out."
Hannah wanted to stay and find out what Mark would tell the nun. Instead Hannah was pulled along the corridor by her fake "Aunt Annie". Hannah planted her feet and looked at Annie's eyes still concealed by the sunglasses even in the dim light.
"I'm not one to read pet." Annie said smiling broadly. "Which way to your cell?"
Hannah plodded down the hall even though she had already packed everything she really wanted. Annie looked around the room in disgust. It was apparent that she didn't approve of the living conditions at the school.
"Oh you'll love where I'm taking you," Annie assured her and began snooping through drawers. "Where's the letter?"
Hannah pulled it from her back pocket and extended her hand palm up. Annie accepted it and after opening it to verify it was indeed what she was looking for she tucked it into a pocket in the interior of her jacket.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Annie asked eyeing her speculatively. "You are shorter than I expected. They never include heights in the file, because they change too frequently with children."
"You are a lot taller than you look beside Uncle Mark," Hannah blurted and flushed. She didn't really believe he was her uncle, and she shouldn't call him that.
Annie grinned. "You are a charming little biddy aren't you?"
Uncle Mark and Mother Landriss appeared in the doorway halting the girls' conversation. Mark held his arms out to Hannah and bent down. He mumbled something about taking her home as she obligingly snuggled against him. For Hannah it was pleasant to be in a man's arms, it reminded her of her father. Uncle Mark carried her to the car past fat Mandy Wilcox whose cries of "Hannah Banana" had stopped. It was a nice car, Hannah didn't know much about cars, but she could tell this one was impressive. Annie kissed her on the forehead. She waved to the nuns, and as the wheels turned she contemplated her new life.
She had received an invitation, an escape from the shadows. She was excited, and scared. Usually she prayed over big decisions, but this time, she decided to go with her gut instinct. She hadn't decided not to turn to God she just knew what felt right. After her decision was made, she packed her bags and sat down to wait. It was a feeling she had, and her feelings usually were on target.
"Hannah Banana!" one of the chubby rich schoolgirls taunted from the safety of a few hundred feet away. Hannah didn't bother to look at the girl. She didn't have a chance to avoid criticism from these people, and she knew it.
Hannah's eyes focused on a man and woman walking up the path. The woman wore dark shades that reminded her of the celebrity style bug eyes. She appeared to be a diminutive figure as she walked beside a striking tall man. The man's eyes were uncovered, and they were brilliant blue. Both wore dark pantsuits, with dark shoes. The woman's head turned in her direction and Hannah knew that she was about to be retrieved.
Smoothing her plaid skirted uniform she stood up letting her bag dangle in front of her too thin legs. A strand of honey colored hair that would have matched her mother's slid over her face, and she tucked it behind a petite ear. The woman smiled, and she looked like a toothpaste ad.
For a moment Hannah wondered if the nuns would fight to keep her, but in the end she decided that these people would do all that they could to make the transition appear smooth and natural. They would find some way to extract her from the situation without causing too much fuss with the school. The man walked to her and wrapped his arms around her warmly, a friendly greeting.
"Do you remember me Hannah?" he asked with false cheer in his voice. "I'm your father's brother, Uncle Mark."
Hannah looked into his eyes and judged him to be a liar. Bending forward she hugged him back and whispered in his ear "You are lying. Are you with the Pattern?"
The man blinked at her and his smile broadened and seemed more genuine. "This is my wife Annie, we are going to take you to live with us."
More lies, but the blink seemed to tell her that she had surprised him. She liked the idea that she had thrown this man off his kilter. It meant she wasn't too many steps behind him. Extending her hand to "Annie" Hannah allowed the pair to lead her up the steps and into the building.
"Hannah?" Sister Marguerite was the first to see her nestled between the towering adults. The woman pulled Hannah a little closer, a very warm and secure embrace.
"Won't you do the introductions niece?" the man asked smiling at the nun.
"Sister, this is my Uncle Mark, and my Aunt Annie." Hannah wondered if the nun would see the lies in her eyes as she spoke, but the nun was staring avidly at the adults and so she knew she would get away with it.
The so-called "Uncle Mark" pumped the nuns hand excitedly. "We've been searching everywhere for Hannah. Her mother left no forwarding address. We were in Africa when- when things went downhill, no idea what happenedÂ…"
"We don't need to discuss that in front of Hannah, really Mark, be sensitive." Annie admonished touching Hannah's shoulder lightly. "Perhaps Hannah and I could go pack while you sort things out."
Hannah wanted to stay and find out what Mark would tell the nun. Instead Hannah was pulled along the corridor by her fake "Aunt Annie". Hannah planted her feet and looked at Annie's eyes still concealed by the sunglasses even in the dim light.
"I'm not one to read pet." Annie said smiling broadly. "Which way to your cell?"
Hannah plodded down the hall even though she had already packed everything she really wanted. Annie looked around the room in disgust. It was apparent that she didn't approve of the living conditions at the school.
"Oh you'll love where I'm taking you," Annie assured her and began snooping through drawers. "Where's the letter?"
Hannah pulled it from her back pocket and extended her hand palm up. Annie accepted it and after opening it to verify it was indeed what she was looking for she tucked it into a pocket in the interior of her jacket.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Annie asked eyeing her speculatively. "You are shorter than I expected. They never include heights in the file, because they change too frequently with children."
"You are a lot taller than you look beside Uncle Mark," Hannah blurted and flushed. She didn't really believe he was her uncle, and she shouldn't call him that.
Annie grinned. "You are a charming little biddy aren't you?"
Uncle Mark and Mother Landriss appeared in the doorway halting the girls' conversation. Mark held his arms out to Hannah and bent down. He mumbled something about taking her home as she obligingly snuggled against him. For Hannah it was pleasant to be in a man's arms, it reminded her of her father. Uncle Mark carried her to the car past fat Mandy Wilcox whose cries of "Hannah Banana" had stopped. It was a nice car, Hannah didn't know much about cars, but she could tell this one was impressive. Annie kissed her on the forehead. She waved to the nuns, and as the wheels turned she contemplated her new life.