Rules of Escape

Chapter 14 - Ana

Ana has been good. There have been no incidents worth medicating her for. She has been unusually patient with all her staff - doing what they ask of her. What she wants is contact with the other people like her. She's sure she will get it. It's a fair trade.

Now, nearly three months later, it is almost Christmas. Everyone is in good spirits and her plan has worked because here she is, with the others, at the Christmas party. All dressed up in a frilly, red dress to her knee and her hair in ringlets high on her head. She feels a little childish, but being agreeable with staff has definitely been worth it.

Ana sits prettily on a couch with her legs crossed. The big house is bustling with activity and laughter. The kitchen releases warm smells of cooking turkey, potatoes, and cinnamon covered apples. Outside, a light dusting of snow lies on the ground. Multi-coloured lights hang from the gutters, twinkling. The porch posts are wrapped with little white lights and holly.

"Eliza! Come in. You don't have a jacket on!"

A staff person puts on a coat and leaves the house to join Eliza outside. Ana can see Eliza through the window.  Eliza twirls in circles, looking up at the gently falling snow. Her long purple sweater flares out behind her, her curly, dark hair starting to frizz with the dampness.

You look like a butterfly, Ana tells Eliza.

I am a butterfly. I'm a dancing butterfly!

You are.

When Ana was little she would also have rushed outside to play in the snow. It wouldn't have mattered that the snow melted almost as fast as it landed. She would have lain on her back, mouth open, tasting snow, watching the billions of snowflakes fall from the sky. With an eternity of white fluff falling on her, she would become lost in the cloud of feathery white and float away, invisible.

Ana watches the staff person run up to Eliza and attempt to put a coat on her.

You need to protect your beautiful wings, Eliza. Put on your coat. Ana thinks and watches as Eliza obliges.

Ana, you look like an angel. Evan stands in front of her and Ana can't hold back her smile. He looks taller - maybe because his hair has been cut shorter and is messily spiked on top. He sits down beside her.

Maria thinks her warnings to me have worked! Ana thinks to Evan. She thinks I'm scared of her and won't try running away again. Everyone has their guard down tonight, Evan. We can leave after dinner.

I think we should not. I'm learning things, Ana. My brother is teaching me. Things we can use when we are independent. So we can be successful.

You sound like one of them, Evan. Don't you want to leave? To live differently from these people?

Unless we can live like normal people, unless we can pass, we'll just end up here again. Ana listen to me. You've resisted the rules all your life. You've pushed away from everything that hurts you. The hum of machines. The buzz of wireless radio signals, the scratch of detergent that stings your skin. Other people don't get this. They don't know what we feel. They can't even imagine it. They don't want to know it because they like their world. To really escape, we need freedom. To keep our freedom, we need to know the rules. We have to play by the rules.

Did you tell your brother what we can do?

No. But he wants to help me be independent. Right now, there are too many things I don't know.

Like what? We can look after ourselves. We'll be fine.

For one thing, if you drive a car without a license, you might get locked in jail or get a big fine.

What's a fine?

A fine is money you pay to a police officer if you do something wrong. My brother told me that.

Can we use buses?

We can. But to get to the Place, we need a car or someone to drive us. But Ana, my brother said that if I can be independent, he will help me get a drivers licence.

Really? And then you can drive and not go to jail?

Yes. I will drive all of us. I just have to learn about driving and pass a test. Then I get a paper that says I can drive.

Can I get one?

Do you know how to read?

I know some words.

Learn how to read. Learn everything you can. Most of all, try to learn all the rules.

I know all the rules.

Not the rules in the house - the rules when you're outside. How to do things. Like how to buy things at a store. How to use the bus. That kind of thing.

I was so happy today, Evan. I thought that we would leave tonight. Now you're saying I have to wait a long time. I can't talk as good as you, Evan. What if I can't get independent? I want to go with you. I want to go, now.

I'm going to live at The Place and I will come back for you. We'll get everyone like us out.  I can do this.  Please wait.  I need more time.

I'll wait until the next Christmas party. If you haven't got me by then, I'll leave. I'll leave for good.

Evan touches Ana's hair, sending shivers down her back. She looks up at him. He sits straight and tall in his new clothes. He has shaved and smells nice. When he looks down at her, she sees calm, quiet concern in his eyes. And something else. Something odd. Startled, Ana realizes how he is different. 

Evan can pass as normal.