Teacher Knows Best

Chapter 3
Chapter 3

The adults tried to comfort the two girls. Angie was absolutley frantic. In one short moment she had found out that her life would never be the same! She’d lost her husband and if she couldn’t get to the anti-dote she would lost her adult life. The emotions that she was feeling were overwhelming. Worse yet was that she couldn’t tell anyone. No one would believe her!

’What’s gonna....happen to us?’ she cried.

’Well, hopefully we can find your parents and we also need to find Mrs. Fletcher. You’ll have to stay at the Children’s Center if we don’t find them soon.’ The Dr. told her.

’But that is where criminals go!’ Angie countered.

’Not exactly. Maybe some wayward youths get ~assigned~ there, but it also houses children who don’t have a mommy and daddy’. The Dr.’s voice oozed of a patronizing tone...like he was speaking to a child who wouldn’t fully understand. Regrettably, Angie understood exactly and it wasn’t very comforting.

’Besides, I’m sure you have families that love you. We’ll find them. The police are looking now.’

Angie knew that the police would not find anything. They were looking for the parents of a child with a fictional identity. And they never would look for Lara’s mother at the Children’s Center! She was resigned to the fact that they would have to spend atleast some time at the Children’s Center until she could figure out a way to back home to retrieve the reversing formula.

As the time passed and no trace of the girls’ family was found, the police decided it was best to take them to ’The Home’. ’The Home’ is the name the police use to refer to the Children’s Center. They informed the Dr. of their lack of success and took the two children away.

----

Angie’s eyes grew bigger as she saw the imposing building. It looked bigger than she remembered from the pictures that she had seen while it was being built. It looked more like a prison than a ’Home’. A quick look around the yard told her that security didn’t look to be overly tight. Maybe she could escape she hoped! She sqeezed Lara’s hand as the car slowed to a stop. The officer escorted them out of the car and into the building. He signed a couple of forms and then left. The lady on the other side of the counter didn’t look to be the most friendly person she had ever seen.’

’Two more... Damn we’re full already and they’re sending more! Atleast you two tiny things won’t take up smuch space!’ the lady grumbled as she left her station to take the children further into the building. ’This is the Rec Room... That is R.E.C. as in Recreation Room... NOT WRECK Room. Please try and take care of it. You’ll be spending a lot of time in here so keep it clean.’ She led them further. This is your room. You’ll have to share a cot. That one there will be yours’

The girls looked at their ’room’. It was a room that probably had 10 bunks crammed in it. Their’s was farthest from the door. Not exactly where Angie wanted to be to start her escape. She figured her best bet was to take her time. If she tried to run away and got caught she might never get another chance. If she gained everyone’s confidence and learned the building she would have her best chance.

’I see you two have regular meetings with Dr. Frantz scheduled. You’re awfully small to need a shrink!’

Lara looked at Angie as if to question what was happening. She again squeezed her hand hoping to comfort her. Once again Angie had met an adult authority figure that she wasn’t very pleased with. She wondered how these people ever got a job working with children.

’Alright my little Peewee’s, get to the Rec Room and find yourself something to do.’ The lady grunted and then went back to her station.

Angie looked at the windows as she walked back to the Rec Room. The windows were all locked down with no way to open them. Even worse, she noticed that the lady at the door had to buzz people out! Escaping wasn’t going to be easy.

Neither girl engaged in much conversation that evening. Both were still in a state of shock. Angie’s mind was filled with questions and she worried about Lara. She had to figure out a way to get to the anti-dote.

One of the attendants came and told the children it was time for bed. A few groaned but no one dared argue. Once at the room another of the attendant’s brought Angie and Lara some nightclothes. They were each issued a pink sleepshirt and a toothbrush. Nothing else. Angie felt even more like they were in prison. The girls went into the semi-private stalls and changed. The concrete floor was cold on their bare feet.

’I don’t like it here’ Lara sobbed ’I wanna go home’

’We’ll get home. Just be strong. I need you to be strong.’

Lara sniffed one last time and tried to put on a brave face. It broke Angie’s heart to think what must be going through Lara’s mind. Both girls got in their cot. Lara fell asleep but Angie tried to fight it. She watched the guard make rounds. She tried to time his rounds by counting. Not yet satisfied that she’d learned all she needed to know about his rounds but no longer able to fight sleep. She too finally fell fast asleep.

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Morning arrived to the sound of a loud buzzer. Angie longed for the sound of Jim’s voice waking her. In her memory it now sounded like music. All the girls fell into line to brush their teeth. Angie prodded Lara to do the same. ’When in Rome....’ she thought. The girls were then led down a corridor and into the cafeteria for breakfast. The concrete floors hadn’t warmed any overnight. Angie longed for her bunny slippers and a trip to McDonald’s with Jim. She never could have dreamed that she would find herself a resident of ’The Home’.

Later that morning she had her fight bright spot. One of the young helpers, Kelly, made her first appearance. Kelly was 21years old. Not all that much younger than Angie in reality. Kelly seemed to like children and was very entertaining for the children. Lara really seemed to like her also. Kelly was surprised to see Angie ’reading’ the newspaper. Kelly figured she wasn’t really reading it but Angie argued that she was. She started to prove it but then thought better of it.

The children all played or watched TV. The classroom activities that had been one of the ’Home’s’ selling points when it was proposed to taxpayers was largely nonexistent. The fun was interrupted by a couple of policemen. They talked to Kelly and then she came to Lara.

’Lara, honey.... These policemen found your mommy’s car in a parking lot. Do you know why your mommy would leave her car in a parking lot?’

’Nuh uh’ she answered.

She showed her a picture of where it was parked ’Have you ever been there?’ she asked pointing to the picture.

’Nuh uh’ again was the reply.

She turned around. ’Sorry officers. Nothing’

They thanked her and left.

~Great~ Angie thought. Now they think I’ve been kidnapped or something.

Angie tried to keep her distance from the other children the rest of the day. She found some magazines and began reading those. Lara seemed to be ok with Kelly.

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Bedtime came and the girls followed the same routine. Angie stayed awake and again timed the guard’s rounds. This time they were different! Damn she thought how am I ever gonna get out of here. She started crying and cried herself to sleep. All too soon the buzzer echoed throughout the building and it was time to rise again.

Breakfast and then Rec Room. Angie was already bored with the routine and it was only the second day! She found a newspaper and again started reading. Kelly arrived for work and once again saw Angie with a newspaper. She thought it was cute and figured Angie was going to be a Lawyer or something.... a woman of the 21st century.

’Hello, Miss Bookworm!’ Kelly said.

Angie put the paper down to greet Kelly. She figured in another time she and Kelly could have been great friends. They began talking. Kelly was surprised by how mature Angie seemed for her age. Their converstation was interrupted by voices. Lots of voices! They looked up to see quite a few children being brought into the building. Mostly small children.

’Who’s that?’ Angie asked as she pointed to a gentleman that she hadn’t seen before.

’That’s Dr Blackwell. He’s one of the doctors here. He’s really nice... and kinda cute!’

’Where’d all those children come from?’ Angie asked.

’THAT, I don’t know. We sure don’t have much room for any more either.’ Kelly replied.

Angie watched them all file in and one of the children caught her attention. There was something about him. She got up and walked closer.

’Jim....Jimmy?’ she asked curiously.

’Yeah?’ he answered.

’My God it is you! You’re not dead! What happened to you?’ she stammered.

’Huh?’

’You’re Jimmy Fletcher..right?’

’Uh huh’

Before Angie could go any further the other kids started teasing him in a chorus of ’Jimmy’s got a girlfriend.....’

’What have they done to you??? They’ve totally regressed you! ’

The other children kept teasing and Jimmy started backing away. ’You got cooties! You’re a girl!’

Suddenly, Dr Blackwell grabbed Jimmy and stared at Angie for a second before dragging the boy away.

Angie took a deep breath. Things had just gotten more serious! She had to take a chance. She went back to Kelly.

’Kelly, I need to tell you something....’