The Pattern
The children were led to a white door. Somehow the boys seemed to arrive at the same time the girls did. Both groups noting silently that they should question the others about the trip from the helipad to the door. They identified one another now as partners in a world ruled by less intelligent adults.
The door opened automatically slipping into the wall rather than in or out. The children stepped in through the wide passage. There was a sitting area in the center, with chairs made to entice children. Bright colors and odd shapes that looked exciting and comfy at the same time. There were soft edged coffee tables and rows of little bookshelves. No television, and no computer. The walls were angled, and each of five walls had a door on it. There were no windows, except a large window above the center of the room- an oculus, round and dome shaped.
The walls were painted a soft blue, very calming, meant perhaps to ease their fears. The children stood looking around, feeling just as lost as ever.
"These are your living quarters," Mrs. Hammers announced. "You are to stay here until you are summoned."
"Fat chance," Copenhagen snorted examining the dome high above their heads.
Mrs. Hammers either didn't hear his words or chose to ignore them. She clicked her heels together as she turned to exit the room. Once they were alone, Mazen was the first to move leaping over the back of a red plush chair and then bouncing on it. He looked around as he did this, his eyes scanning the line between ceiling and wall.
"No cameras that I can see," Hagen announced, walking the room with his eyes on the ceiling as well.
"Why would they film us?" Hannah asked laughing at the boys' absurdity.
"Why would they film us? Are you kidding?" Mazen snarled stalking toward her. "I don't know about you, but they spent a LOT of time trying to get us lost in this building. They intend to keep us here, how will they know where we are if they don't tape us?"
"Oh," Hannah blushed.
"Yeah, oh," Mazen mocked macking the word "oh" sound like the word "duh."
"Leave her alone," Will said stepping closer to her. "We're in this together remember? That includes the girls."
Hagen had taken a thick book off of a shelf and began throwing it toward the oculus. He intended to break through and somehow make an escape on the roof. The book hit the floor with a loud thud. Hannah winced at the damage to the delicate pages.
"Try this," Mazen suggested lifting a wooden cross off one of the walls.
"NO!" Hannah cried out racing forward and taking the totem from the boys. "Use the books."
"Jesus wants us to escape," Mazen declared but grabbed another book.
Everyone was so busy focusing on the glass ceiling that no one took time to notice the other rooms, or the doors that led to them. Rosie was the first to notice, she wasn't busy protecting religious symbols, or breaking out of the room.
"Guys," she said in a quavering voice. "There are more rooms."
The door opened automatically slipping into the wall rather than in or out. The children stepped in through the wide passage. There was a sitting area in the center, with chairs made to entice children. Bright colors and odd shapes that looked exciting and comfy at the same time. There were soft edged coffee tables and rows of little bookshelves. No television, and no computer. The walls were angled, and each of five walls had a door on it. There were no windows, except a large window above the center of the room- an oculus, round and dome shaped.
The walls were painted a soft blue, very calming, meant perhaps to ease their fears. The children stood looking around, feeling just as lost as ever.
"These are your living quarters," Mrs. Hammers announced. "You are to stay here until you are summoned."
"Fat chance," Copenhagen snorted examining the dome high above their heads.
Mrs. Hammers either didn't hear his words or chose to ignore them. She clicked her heels together as she turned to exit the room. Once they were alone, Mazen was the first to move leaping over the back of a red plush chair and then bouncing on it. He looked around as he did this, his eyes scanning the line between ceiling and wall.
"No cameras that I can see," Hagen announced, walking the room with his eyes on the ceiling as well.
"Why would they film us?" Hannah asked laughing at the boys' absurdity.
"Why would they film us? Are you kidding?" Mazen snarled stalking toward her. "I don't know about you, but they spent a LOT of time trying to get us lost in this building. They intend to keep us here, how will they know where we are if they don't tape us?"
"Oh," Hannah blushed.
"Yeah, oh," Mazen mocked macking the word "oh" sound like the word "duh."
"Leave her alone," Will said stepping closer to her. "We're in this together remember? That includes the girls."
Hagen had taken a thick book off of a shelf and began throwing it toward the oculus. He intended to break through and somehow make an escape on the roof. The book hit the floor with a loud thud. Hannah winced at the damage to the delicate pages.
"Try this," Mazen suggested lifting a wooden cross off one of the walls.
"NO!" Hannah cried out racing forward and taking the totem from the boys. "Use the books."
"Jesus wants us to escape," Mazen declared but grabbed another book.
Everyone was so busy focusing on the glass ceiling that no one took time to notice the other rooms, or the doors that led to them. Rosie was the first to notice, she wasn't busy protecting religious symbols, or breaking out of the room.
"Guys," she said in a quavering voice. "There are more rooms."