Midnight Flight

  You mean, stay in the barn?" Rabin asked.

  "Are you deaf? Yes. Now go." Dr. Foreman waved at the door.

  The three of us got up slowly and walked out, each of us holding her breath.

  Had we escaped a terrible punishment? Dr. Foreman had so wanted to divide the three of us again. I could almost see her tasting the new victory. Surely that was what had disappointed her, but when she was disappointed, she was so depressed and angry, it made Mama's tantrums look like child's play, I thought,

  None of us spoke until we were far enough away from the front of the hacienda not to be overheard.

  "How could you do that?" Robin began, grabbing Teal so hard, she almost pulled the crutch out from under her. "How could you say I was the one?"

  "I didn't know what to say. She had me trapped in that room and it was terrifying. First she was so nice, so thoughtful and concerned, and then she was so angry, I thought she was going to boil me in a big pot. and I was very frightened whenever the buddies came around. I was stuck in that bed and the door was always locked and--"

  "Forget about it. Robin." I said. "You would have given up your mother.'

  "Big deal. I'd give her up for a piece of apple pie right now," she said, still fuming. Then she relaxed and looked at me and smiled, "That was good thinking in there. Phoebe. I didn't remember Gia saying it was Posy who did it. but that was a good idea. It stopped her cold. I could see that."

  "Yeah, thanks for getting me off the hook." Teal said, limping along. "I'm surprised she let us go so easily. I guess Gia might be right after all. I guess Posy was her daughter.'"

  I stopped walking, "There was no Posy. She has no daughter. Posy was just someone Gia made up."

  They both stared at me.

  "How do you know that for sure?"

  "Gia wanted to prove to me that there was a Posy and that she was in the basement,"

  "How?"

  "I went there with her one night and she tricked me and trapped me below. But it wasn't her fault, Dr. Foreman had her do it."

  "Why?" Teal asked.

  I told them about my experience in the basement and the letter. "You've kept that all to yourself?" Teal complained.

  "It wasn't anyone else's business," I said. "and those were Dr. Foreman's orders."

  "You could have told us anyway,"

  "Oh, suddenly you're my new best friends? C'mon, if she told you to keep quiet about something that involved me. you would become a total mute. Don't put on any airs or try to make me feel bad. Teal."

  "She's right." Robin said, still unforgiving. "You gave me up and I don't care what they did to you."

  "And she's right about what you would have done, too."

  "Okay, so we're not exactly loving friends. What's the difference whether or not Phoebe told us about Gia and the imaginary Posy?" Robin said. 'She's right. It had nothing to do with us."

  "Oh. how I hate this place," Teal moaned.

  Robin turned back to me and smiled, "You were even more clever than I first thought. Phoebe. Blaming an imaginary person that Dr. Foreman wanted you to keep secret. What was she going to do? Call you a liar? And in front of us?"

  I looked back at the hacienda, "I don't know. Maybe it was smart. Maybe it was the dumbest thing I've done since I was brought here. Whichever it was," I said, starting along again. "I have the feeling I'm gonna find out soon.

  "Maybe sooner than I imagine."

  We continued along, silence like a big black sheet falling over us with just the sound of Teal's crutch poking the dried earth accompanying us back to our barracks.

  None of us looked forward to sleeping tonight. We'd all see those eyes.

  Dr. Foreman's eyes at the end of our session, full of the most utter disgust and contempt I had ever seen in the eyes of an adult who was looking at me.

  What would cause such rage? I wondered,

  And then I thought, perhaps we... or maybe just I was the first candidate she had ever had that she thought she might fail to make into a Foreman girl after all.

  Something told me she would never permit a failure to leave this place.

  Even Posy, imagined and unreal. had to be made to disappear.

  13

  Marooned

  .

  To our surprise. not only didn't we hear a

  second shoe drop, but in the morning we were greeted with unexpected gifts. M'Lady One entered with her arms full of clothing. She distributed prettier white blouses and khaki walking shorts as well as new socks and pairs of light brown sneakers. Teal was depressed because we were also provided with new hairbrushes and she had no hair to brush.

  "Is this some sort of a reward for work or something?" I asked M'Lady One.

  "No, stupid," she said. "It's a punishment."

  "I almost feel like a human being again." Robin cried after she put on a blouse and brushed her hair. "These shorts aren't too bad either."

  Teal checked for a label and saw where they were made in China. "Probably fall apart in a day or two,," she muttered, still pining over her shortened hair. "The sneakers aren't bad though."

  I was cautiously happy. Only Gia looked upset about it She stared at everything as if one of those centipedes Natani had shown us might be lodged in something. All of us were changed and dressed and she hadn't changed into anything yet.

  "What's wrong, Gia?" I asked.

  "I don't know. This is not like her. I don't know."

  "She probably had the clothes lying around or maybe it's like those prisoner of war camps where someone comes to inspect and she's just getting us ready for it." Rabin suggested. "What do you think. Phoebe?"

  I stared at Gia. "I don't know what to think. Maybe it's like the magazines, huh. Gia?"

  "Maybe," she said finally, putting on a blouse, "Maybe it's something more."

  "Maybe it's something more, maybe it's not like her, maybe it's maybe. You can drive someone nuts," Teal shouted at her. "Why don't you just take it and be grateful and get yourself out of here already? Or don't you want to go home?"

  Gia looked at her as if it were a good question. "Maybe I don't." She turned her back and put an the shorts.

  Mindy watched her and then gazed at me with concern.

  "Well. I know I do. I'd crawl out on my hands and knees if I had to. Almost did," Teal reminded us.

  "It's not over yet." Gia said, looking up as she buttoned her shorts. "You may be on your hands and knees yet."

  Teal smirked, shook her head, and sat to put on her new sneakers. "I have about fifty pairs at home, every color you can imagine, every new style." She sat quietly, remembering.

  "Let's go. ladies." M'Lady Three said from the door. "This morning you're going directly to breakfast. No morning work detail."

  Again, we looked at each other. I began to really wonder if Robin wasn't right. We were going to be inspected by same agency and Dr. Foreman was putting on a shiny new look.

  "Was this place ever inspected since you've been here. Gia?" I asked.

  "No. Or at least not that I know of."

  "Then. I'm right," Robin decided. "It's obviously time for an inspection."

  "Well, I can tell you this," Teal said. "if someone pulls me aside to ask me how things are going, he or she is going to get an ear so full, his head will tilt to one side."

  "Just remember," Mindy cautioned. "if you're not shipped out soon after you spill your guts, one of the buddies might spill them for you."

  "I don't care! I'm sick of all this and I want the world to know it!" Teal screamed at her.

  Mindy just smiled at her, which irritated Teal even more.

  "You're sick." she said. "You're all sick," she continued, looking mostly at Gia.

  "Shut up, Teal," I said.

  "1 want to go home, I'll do anything to go home," she moaned, and hobbled along.

  We did have a more elaborate breakfast, even some Danish pastries, which reinforced our theory that we were about to be observed and evaluated by some government agency. Gia ate tent
atively, looking everything over twice to be sure rat poison wasn't over it or something. She made me nervous, but Robin and Teal weren't in any way intimidated. They ate as much as they could, as did Mindy, who reminded me of a starving dog, gazing around her after almost every bite to be sure no one was nearby to take it away.

  Toward the end of breakfast. M'Lady Three came into the dining room to announce the day's chores and assignments.

  "Mindy and Gia are to report to the garden as usual. Teal. Robin. and Phoebe are going on an offgrounds work detail and, after they clean up in here and put everything neatly away, are to report outside to get into the van."

  "Off-grounds?" Teal asked first. "What's that?"

  "That is off-grounds, an outside area. You still speak English, don't you?"M'Lady Three quipped.

  Teal looked at me. but I was staring at Gia, who was staring back at me, and what I saw in her eyes. I did not like.

  "Move it!" M'Ladv Three ordered. and Gia and Mindy left the room quickly, neither looking back at us. "Clean up. Ten minutes to departure," she shouted at us.

  "What's this mean, working off-grounds?" Teal asked me as soon as M'Lady Three was gone.

  "I don't know, but I don't like it."

  "I guess we really are like prisoners on a chain gang," Robin said. "We're probably volunteered by Dr. Foreman to work on a road or something just like inmates."

  "How can I work on a road? I'm injured." Teal protested.

  "I'm sure they'll find something you can do." Robin said, taking dishes off the table.

  I helped her and Teal was left to clean the table off. Robin and I washed and dried the dishes and silverware, neither of us talking much at all.

  "Stop looking so worried. Phoebe." she finally told me. "At least we're getting out of here and can see some new scenery."

  "I hope you're right," I said without confidence.

  When we were finished, we joined Teal and all walked out front to where the van was parked. M'Lady One was there with three small bags, the kind of backpacks you could wear over your shoulders.

  "These are your off-grounds kits." she explained, and opened one up to take out its contents. "First, a canteen full of cold water. Drink it sparingly. Second, bars of nutritional food. Each of you has three. A towel to wipe your ugly faces, some tampons just in case, a vial of cyanide just in case you're captured." She laughed. "Just kidding, of course. Who would want to capture you?

  "All right," she said, opening the van doors. "get in. There's work to be done."

  "How far away are we going?" Teal asked.

  "We were thinking of your sweeping streets in New York. How far are you going? Just get in and shut up.'

  Robin got in first and I followed, then we helped Teal in with her crutch. MLady One shut the door immediately.

  "This brings back fond memories," Robin said.

  "If there is even the slightest chance of getting away once we get to wherever we get," Teal said. "I'm going for it."

  "On a crutch?" I asked.

  "I said I'd crawl if I had to and I will."

  "Maybe I would. too," Robin added.

  A tiny bit of light came through the crack in the door so at least we weren't in total darkness as we had been the first time we were in this van. I sat back and tried to relax when I heard the engine start and felt us pulling away. Then I glanced to my right..

  Something was there,

  "What's this?" I muttered, reaching for it. It looked familiar. I held it up,

  "What is it?" Teal asked.

  "Phoebe?" Robin followed,

  I looked at the two of them. "It's from Natani. It's his healing bag."

  "What's that for? I mean, what does it mean that he left it in here?" Teal asked. whining.

  "It means, we're in bigger trouble than we imagined. Dr. Foreman is finally punishing us."

  "I don't understand." Teal said. "I think I do." Robin said.

  "Well, tell me, big shot."

  "Maybe we should just wait to see," I said. "Let's not panic until we have to panic."

  "Oh, great. And here I thought we were going on a picnic," Teal moaned,

  We were all quiet, listening to see if we could hear anything that would give us even a slight hint as to where we were going and what we would be doing. The roughness of the ride, however, began to reinforce my worries. I couldn't see Robin's face clearly, but I was sure the same was occurring to her as well,

  "How far away are they taking us?" Teal cried after what was surely a good hour. "I'm so nauseous. I'm sorry I ate anything this morning."

  Finally, the van stopped. We heard a door slam and then the back doors were opened. The Lightness made us all squint for a few moments.

  "Ladies," M'Lady Two said, standing there and looking in at us. She wore a wide-brimmed hat.

  Robin crawled out first and I followed with Natani's medicine bag around my shoulder. I reached back to get Teal's crutch, then Robin and I helped her down. We stood there looking around. We were, as I had feared, in the middle of the desert. The mountains, in fact, looked farther away than they did when we were at the ranch.

  "Where are we?" Teal asked first,

  "That's top-secret information." MLady One said.

  "We're going for a long walk in the desert, aren't we?" I asked. "This isn't a work detail."

  "Believe me. Phoebegzirl, a walk in the desert is a work detail," M'Lady Two replied,

  "How can I walk in the desert? I can't walk back at the ranch that well." Teal complained.

  "You can walk just like the rest of us. You've been using that sprain as an excuse from work long enough," M'Ladv Two said. "Ready?"

  "I'm not going," Teal declared, and folded her legs to sit on the ground.

  M'Lady One looked at M'Lady Two. "I'll meet you at the designated spat." M'Lady One said, and got into the van. We watched her start the engine and drive away.

  "This way. girls." M'Lady Two said, and began to trek forward.

  No one moved. She stopped and looked at us. Teal tried to keep her mask of defiance over her face of fear.

  "I'm walking and meeting that van," M'Lady Two said, pointing at the van, which was disappearing over a hill. "If you girls want to remain here, you can." she said, shading her eves to gaze up at the noonday sun burning down on us. "However, I wouldn't advise it."

  She started away. I looked at Robin.

  "We've got no choice." I said, and began to follow.

  "No," Teal moaned.

  "Come on," Robin said, helping her to her feet.

  We started behind M'Lady Two, who moved at a steady, quick pace over the sand and rolling small hills. I quickly envied her wide-brimmed hat and remembered Natani's advice to always have our heads covered in the desert. He had also advised against us wearing shorts, and suddenly I realized these sneakers were not proper shoes for this as well. So Dr. Foreman's apparent gifts were not gifts after all. We would have been better off dressed in the outfits we had. She had set us up to suffer out here. M'Lady One's sarcastic reply to my question wasn't sarcastic after all. Punishment had a new meaning and certainly a capital P.

  I looked back and saw how Robin and Teal were already struggling. The crutch looked to be more trouble than it was worth, especially over this kind of terrain.

  "I can't walk this fast!" Teal screamed.

  M'Lady Two didn't turn around. She kept her pace and kept her direction.

  Robin caught up with me. "What's going on? Why are they doing this to us?"

  "It's the punishment. Remember what Natani said about clothing, covering our heads, all that? She gave us all this before putting us out here, and these are exactly the wrong things to be wearing."

  "Damn her."

  "Yeah, well, it's too late for that." I was breathing heavily already. How could M'Lady Two walk so fast and so steadily? I wondered. She was probably the best at this and that was why she had been chosen to lead us,

  "I'm burning up." Teal moaned, catching up to us and wiping her forehead.
>
  I thought a moment, then reached into my bag and took out the towel. "Wrap it around your head. At least you'll get some protection from the sun this way,"

  "I need sunglasses. My eyes ache!" Teal complained.

  "Mine, too," Robin said.

  "Walk with them closed half the time," I advised. M'Lady Two was pulling farther and farther away. "Come on, we can't lose her out here." I quickened my steps.

  Teal kept complaining and struggling. Finally, out of disgust, she threw her crutch down and hobbled. Before long, she was putting weight on the ankle and enduring the pain just so she wouldn't be left too far behind. From the way the sun moved in the sky. I was sure we had already walked a good hour,

  "Can't we rest for a while?" I called to M'Lady Two. She kept walking, not even turning her head.

  "Why isn't she tired. too?" Robin asked. "I was going to drink some water, but I didn't want to do it until she stopped and did it."

  "That's a good idea." I said.

  "I've already drunk some of mine," Teal admitted.

  "Don't drink any more," I warned,

  "Why not? We can't be going too much longer before we reach the van, can we?"

  "Look out there," I said. "Any sign of a van for miles and miles?"

  Teal paused and panned the scene before us. The cacti stood like sentinels over the sand, rocks, and bushes. There wasn't a house or a road, or any sign of civilization, for as far as we could see in any direction. Heat seemed to be steaming up from the earth. Nothing moved that we could see. It was as if the whole world had come to a complete stop.

  "Where are we?" Robin asked.

  "What is this? Stop!" Teal screamed, the panic settling in her throat like a lump of coal and turning her scream into more of a desperate screech. but I was sure her voice didn't even reach M'Lady Two,

  "Just keep going," I advised.

  At one point M'Lady Two was so far ahead, she disappeared over the top of a knoll. We all walked faster. I even broke into a run because I saw how we had lost too much distance and how long it would otherwise take to catch up to her. When I reached the top, I stopped and the other two caught up with me.

  "What is it?" Teal asked. 'Why are you stopping?"

  Robin and I turned our heads and put our hands on our foreheads to shade our eyes. Sweat was running down my forehead, under the towel. I had to wipe it away to keep my eyes open.