Hannah wished for a friend to talk to. Scarlett still glowed from her newly married status, and she refused to bother her in the evening. Kassie and Dr. Meyers seemed very nice, but she didn’t know them personally.
Her phone rang and she went to the kitchen to retrieve it. Seeing her mom’s name on the screen, she answered it.
“Hi, Mom,” Hannah greeted.
“How’s my baby girl doing? I called the hospital and Kassie said you requested privacy. What’s going on?” her mother asked. She heard the concern in her voice.
“I’m fine. I’m staying at a cabin on the mountain,” she said, unwilling to get into the logistics. Her mother tried to make up for her father’s lack of interest by hovering. She didn’t wantto hand over more ammunition for her dad to find something wrong with her.
“Why didn’t you call?” her mother entreated. “If you’re feeling better, why don’t you come home for Christmas?”
“I’m still in treatment. The staff want me to stay here,” she lied.
“What can they possibly do for you there that we can’t do here?” her mom pleaded.
“I like it here, Mom,” she insisted.
Silence reigned over the line.
“Hannah, it’s your father. What’s going on? Your mother’s in tears,” he said briskly.
“I…I told her I can’t come home yet,” she stuttered.
“Did they convince us to send you to a cult? They can’t keep you there. Kassie Winters insisted I leave you with them. It must be some kind of scam.”
“No,” she exclaimed. “They’re helping me. In fact, I have a job. Serenity Securities hired me as their chief supply specialist.”
“I’ve never heard of these people. I’ll send you a ticket to fly home in the morning. Your mother will email you the flight information. You check out of there and we’ll meet you at the airport,” he insisted.
“I can’t do it,” she attempted to explain.
“That’s an order, Hannah. We’ll pick you up at the luggage carousel,” he ordered.
She disconnected the call. Her father didn’t even let her explain. Hannah nibbled on her nail, making it bleed. She already bit the rest down to the skin. Bending her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on top and let the tears flow. The excitement of returning to life felt dimmed. She tossed the phone toward the fireplace, refusing his commands.
She spent the rest of the evening staring into the void. Maybe retreating into her prison will protect her from her father’s harsh words.
Her stomach growled, forcing her to meander into the kitchen for something to eat. Tomorrow, she planned to catch the van into town and get some groceries. The idea felt foreign to her, considering she hadn’t set foot into one in over five years. Fear settled in her stomach as she took out a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup.
A noise outside made her rattle her spoon. She threw open the drawers, searching for a sharp knife. Sheer terror took over even as she tried to reason it might be the wind or the giant trees brushing against the cabin.
The closet popped into her head. Hannah dropped to her knees, accidentally knocking over the bowl of soup, and crawled to her room. The sound seemed to echo larger than life, making her go faster. When she got to her room, she slammed the door shut and locked it. Did they find her? How did they get on the mountain? Hannah’s heart raced as she ran to the closet and shut the door. Scooting to the dark corner of the closet, she brandished the knife, waiting for the rebels to break in at any moment. They always seemed to find her. Hannah bit her lip to keep from crying out loud, giving away her hiding place.
It seemed like forever as she waited for someone to burst through the door. Her senses heightened as the minutes ticked by. “It’s a dream. Please let it be a dream,” she whispered. In retrospect, leaving the hospital felt like a bad idea.
Her mind screamed to call Cole, the one person who made her feel safe. No. He didn’t want to be her friend anymore. The button in the closet beckoned to her and she recalled Kassie’s reminder. If she made it across the closet, Hannah might be able to alert someone to the rebels’ existence. She scurried across the floor, cutting her thigh, and not feeling any pain.
Her hand reached out, and she pressed the button again and again.
“Hannah, it’s Patch. Do you remember me?” A voice came over an intercom somewhere.
“Shhh, they’ll hear you. They found me,” she whispered.
“Listen to me, Hannah. I’m sending someone to you. You’ll be safe in a few minutes,” he assured her.
“No. They’ll kill them like they did the others,” she said, rocking back and forth.
“Stay in the closet, and my friends will take care of them. When it’s clear, they’ll knock on the door three times. Do you understand?” he asked.
