Hello again. This chapter may not be as cynical as the first one, but it's
the first actual "chapter" I've written. Also, if the argument at the end
is corny, please forgive me, I'm not good with dialogue suspense. Happy
reading
Disclaimer: blah blah blah you know the drill, I own everything except battle school and anything else that came from OSC.
Brilliant-Jacob and Dad
The man at the door held out his hand and told me his rank. I can't remember what it was, but that's not important. My sisters came into the room and kept snickering, something they did every time someone came to the door. Primates. The man was droning and I passed the time by watching a spider crawl over the doorframe. He was staring at me. I quickly came to my senses and offered to let him come in. I was totally thrown off guard by this man's presence, not only was he a stranger, he was a stranger from the Government. He was probably here for my father. I went to the phone, if this man was from the government my dad would want to know. I dialed the numbers and waited for his secretary, Lisa, to answer. She picked up the phone on the fourth ring and lazily talked to me about mom, Carrie, Mary, and Ryan, all of which I didn't want to talk about. My nerves were short, but she didn't care. She just droned. Finally my dad was put on and I told him about the government official who was sitting in the living room not five feet from me.
"Who is he?" My dad asked, almost as if he didn't care.
"Heck if I know, he just came in." I was whispering. I couldn't tell if the man was listening or just staring at me so I quickly averted my eyes.
"Don't take that tone with me young lady."
"All right, all right. Well, what should I do, wait for you, ask him questions, serve him a root beer float."
I was hoping for a laugh, something that was next to impossible with any Government official, even my dad, one of the only ones who had a family. He snorted and asked me to put the man on the phone, I reluctantly agreed, I'd heard a lot about the horrors of Government people, but then again, that was when I still went to school, my mind free to shape however they wanted. A heated conversation went on immediately when I handed the man the phone. I stood there and watched. The man's dark brown hair rose as he talked forcefully into the receiver. I heard my name a couple of times, then Ryan's. My father started to shout and the man turned red in the face. It got quiet and then he hung up. The man stared at me with quiet eyes. I kept my face expressionless.
"Follow me"
I wasn't sure what to think of him as I ran to the twins' room and told them to wait for mom to come home from the lab. They rolled their eyes and went on studying something about the "Western civilization standards from the Jurassic time period" or something else that made no sense. I walked outside to find two other Government officials, holding guns, guarding the car. I knew the Government was crazy, my dad raved about it every night at dinner, but this was plain strange. I was being escorted. Ha, funny. The man, whose name I learned was Jacob, sat in his seat staring straight ahead, only turning his head once; to tell me to quit fidgeting. The car was headed for Dillingston, the town my father commuted to every day. When we arrived at the office my dad was outside looking ticked off. His hands were behind his back and an official was standing behind him with a gun. Jacob relieved the men of their duty and told my father to go inside. He took me by the upper arm and half dragged me to the lobby. The lobby was dressed in blue. Blue rugs, blue wallpaper, blue uniforms, and blue stained glass windows. I was told to sit in a chair by the elevators or anywhere else out of earshot. Who would obey? I listened to them while I wandered around, being eyed by clerks, lawyers, and other officials who were also eavesdropping.
"You didn't sign her up Jack." This was Jacob speaking
"You don't know how smart she is sir, she won't be used for her full potential."
"You don't know that, the Government has different ways of using students. Besides, you're one to talk, she should have been sent in when she was four, she should have been tested for MS. But instead you kept her. You're a fool Jack, you don't even act like you want her."
My father stiffened at this
"You wouldn't know"
"Oh please, you bought a Government house, you know you're being watched. The girl is hardly talked to, her siblings despise her, you don't even notice she's there."
"You don't know her MS sir, how would you know what it's-"
Jacob raised his hand, silencing my father, who looked exhausted.
"There will be no more talking about her MS, she was never tested, but from what I've watched at your household I wouldn't be surprised if was off the charts, negative or positive."
My father's eyes were cautious, his hands shaking.
"Sir, she can't be sent in now, she's too old. There will be all kinds of problems."
"Not if she wants out"
This seemed to be the end of the conversation. Jacob walked over to a clerk's desk and talked in harsh, hurried tones. The clerk's eyes widened and he instantly typed something into his computer. Jacob smiled and walked back to my father.
"Your rights as a parent to Annie are hereby destroyed. You never raised her, you don't know who she is. All records of her birth, school records, pictures are to be sent in tomorrow. Burn her belongings. She is a child of the Government now."
My father stared at Jacob violently, who in turn walked briskly to an empty desk and pushed a button. Four officials came in and escorted my father to the elevator he turned around and looked sadly at me, and then he bowed his head, probably with shame.
The news I'd heard so suddenly ripped through y brain. I tried to make sense of it. What was MS? Why was my father, the one who paid the least attention to me, so concerned with losing me? My therapists had called me psychotic, they called me crazy, vicious, angry, anything that was related to a mental illness. They had always tried to scare me into being nice, but I remember not listening, smiling even. I'd never known fear. But now, as Jacob walked toward me, a grim expression on his face, I didn't know how to react, I felt a sickness rise in my heart and a shrill stab cut through my chest. I was far from home, far from the family who didn't care. I was alone now. So desperately alone that pain coursed through my veins with such force I felt I would be knocked over. Jacob led me to an elevator and when it reached its destination I knew I was in for at least twelve more surprises.
-AN-AN-AN-AN-AN-AN- So, how do you like it? I'm not writing anymore if no one reviews (it's my cheap encouragement), well, I'll write, but it won't be posted. So, if I get at least one review, the next chapter will come soon. Sorry about the cliff-hangers, I like them. Heehee, so cruel, so cruel.
Disclaimer: blah blah blah you know the drill, I own everything except battle school and anything else that came from OSC.
Brilliant-Jacob and Dad
The man at the door held out his hand and told me his rank. I can't remember what it was, but that's not important. My sisters came into the room and kept snickering, something they did every time someone came to the door. Primates. The man was droning and I passed the time by watching a spider crawl over the doorframe. He was staring at me. I quickly came to my senses and offered to let him come in. I was totally thrown off guard by this man's presence, not only was he a stranger, he was a stranger from the Government. He was probably here for my father. I went to the phone, if this man was from the government my dad would want to know. I dialed the numbers and waited for his secretary, Lisa, to answer. She picked up the phone on the fourth ring and lazily talked to me about mom, Carrie, Mary, and Ryan, all of which I didn't want to talk about. My nerves were short, but she didn't care. She just droned. Finally my dad was put on and I told him about the government official who was sitting in the living room not five feet from me.
"Who is he?" My dad asked, almost as if he didn't care.
"Heck if I know, he just came in." I was whispering. I couldn't tell if the man was listening or just staring at me so I quickly averted my eyes.
"Don't take that tone with me young lady."
"All right, all right. Well, what should I do, wait for you, ask him questions, serve him a root beer float."
I was hoping for a laugh, something that was next to impossible with any Government official, even my dad, one of the only ones who had a family. He snorted and asked me to put the man on the phone, I reluctantly agreed, I'd heard a lot about the horrors of Government people, but then again, that was when I still went to school, my mind free to shape however they wanted. A heated conversation went on immediately when I handed the man the phone. I stood there and watched. The man's dark brown hair rose as he talked forcefully into the receiver. I heard my name a couple of times, then Ryan's. My father started to shout and the man turned red in the face. It got quiet and then he hung up. The man stared at me with quiet eyes. I kept my face expressionless.
"Follow me"
I wasn't sure what to think of him as I ran to the twins' room and told them to wait for mom to come home from the lab. They rolled their eyes and went on studying something about the "Western civilization standards from the Jurassic time period" or something else that made no sense. I walked outside to find two other Government officials, holding guns, guarding the car. I knew the Government was crazy, my dad raved about it every night at dinner, but this was plain strange. I was being escorted. Ha, funny. The man, whose name I learned was Jacob, sat in his seat staring straight ahead, only turning his head once; to tell me to quit fidgeting. The car was headed for Dillingston, the town my father commuted to every day. When we arrived at the office my dad was outside looking ticked off. His hands were behind his back and an official was standing behind him with a gun. Jacob relieved the men of their duty and told my father to go inside. He took me by the upper arm and half dragged me to the lobby. The lobby was dressed in blue. Blue rugs, blue wallpaper, blue uniforms, and blue stained glass windows. I was told to sit in a chair by the elevators or anywhere else out of earshot. Who would obey? I listened to them while I wandered around, being eyed by clerks, lawyers, and other officials who were also eavesdropping.
"You didn't sign her up Jack." This was Jacob speaking
"You don't know how smart she is sir, she won't be used for her full potential."
"You don't know that, the Government has different ways of using students. Besides, you're one to talk, she should have been sent in when she was four, she should have been tested for MS. But instead you kept her. You're a fool Jack, you don't even act like you want her."
My father stiffened at this
"You wouldn't know"
"Oh please, you bought a Government house, you know you're being watched. The girl is hardly talked to, her siblings despise her, you don't even notice she's there."
"You don't know her MS sir, how would you know what it's-"
Jacob raised his hand, silencing my father, who looked exhausted.
"There will be no more talking about her MS, she was never tested, but from what I've watched at your household I wouldn't be surprised if was off the charts, negative or positive."
My father's eyes were cautious, his hands shaking.
"Sir, she can't be sent in now, she's too old. There will be all kinds of problems."
"Not if she wants out"
This seemed to be the end of the conversation. Jacob walked over to a clerk's desk and talked in harsh, hurried tones. The clerk's eyes widened and he instantly typed something into his computer. Jacob smiled and walked back to my father.
"Your rights as a parent to Annie are hereby destroyed. You never raised her, you don't know who she is. All records of her birth, school records, pictures are to be sent in tomorrow. Burn her belongings. She is a child of the Government now."
My father stared at Jacob violently, who in turn walked briskly to an empty desk and pushed a button. Four officials came in and escorted my father to the elevator he turned around and looked sadly at me, and then he bowed his head, probably with shame.
The news I'd heard so suddenly ripped through y brain. I tried to make sense of it. What was MS? Why was my father, the one who paid the least attention to me, so concerned with losing me? My therapists had called me psychotic, they called me crazy, vicious, angry, anything that was related to a mental illness. They had always tried to scare me into being nice, but I remember not listening, smiling even. I'd never known fear. But now, as Jacob walked toward me, a grim expression on his face, I didn't know how to react, I felt a sickness rise in my heart and a shrill stab cut through my chest. I was far from home, far from the family who didn't care. I was alone now. So desperately alone that pain coursed through my veins with such force I felt I would be knocked over. Jacob led me to an elevator and when it reached its destination I knew I was in for at least twelve more surprises.
-AN-AN-AN-AN-AN-AN- So, how do you like it? I'm not writing anymore if no one reviews (it's my cheap encouragement), well, I'll write, but it won't be posted. So, if I get at least one review, the next chapter will come soon. Sorry about the cliff-hangers, I like them. Heehee, so cruel, so cruel.