Stowed Away

Chapter Four

The ride was bumpy and long. Eno could not decide how many hours they had spent on the road. She had stopped at three. Pauline was pressed up against. They were seventeen, Eno did a headcount. Eighteen, she had not included herself.

Eno nudged Pauline softly to rouse her. “Did you get the ring?”

Pauline looked into her sister’s eyes searchingly, as if she had to be sure what emotion was there before replying.

“No.”

“You didn’t?”

“I didn’t,” Pauline said, “I couldn’t find it.”

Eno took a deep breath before responding. She knew that her voice would come out high-pitched if she responded right away.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked. “You almost got shot for nothing?”

“I know. I shouldn’t have gone after it. It was stupid of me”

“It was. It was stupid of you,” Eno breathed out. “You were inconsiderate.”

“I’m sorry, Eno.”

Eno threw her hands in frustration. “Now we are here in this bus going to God knows where.”

“Don’t say it like it was my fault we were kidnapped.”

“Why does it feel like it?” Eno asked – in the high-pitched voice she had been playing down.

Pauline also seemed to have trouble keeping her voice down. “We are all scared, too, Eno,” she said tersely. “We are all scared, for crying out loud. I have a wedding tomorrow, and from the look of things, I won’t make it to my own wedding.”

“You didn’t see yourself lying on the floor, Pauline –

“And I said I was sorry. It was inconsiderate of me. You don’t have to turn all your frustrations on me.”

“I wasn’t blaming you.”

“You were, Eno,” Pauline said tiredly. “It sounded like you were.”

Eno shifted to the end of the seat. She hated that she was wrong, she hated that she was afraid. She hated that she could not be strong for her sister, she hated the situation she was in.

Eno leaned against the glass. She would rest a little, and everything would be back as it was.

-

Eno woke up when the bus jerked to a stop. She wrapped her sweater around herself as she stepped into the cold open. It was morning, she realized. She could barely see through the fog. It was raining, a drizzle that sounded a little more heavier than it was.

Pauline slipped her hand into hers, and she tightened her fingers around Pauline’s. Being with someone she knew was enough emotional support.

Eno had expected an abandoned warehouse, or a beat-down, dilapidated old house. She had not expected a lit-up city. One could call it that. Functioning street lights lit up the sides of the street. A mansion stared right back at her.

The interior was a sight for sore eyes, as though the gargoyles and fountains had not been enough sight. Paintings lined up the walls, and statues. A six foot Eiffel castle stood close to other things that caught her fancy – like a small carved elephant and horns belonging to an animal – probably souvenirs.

A man clapped and she jolted out of her work-of-art-induced reverie.

He was called Chris; Eno had listened on their conversation.

“Listen up everybody,” he said. “We are going to be doing a headcount.

You all go by numbers now.”

A man Eno recognized as Seth walked up to Chris and whispered something into his ear. Chris nodded slowly, and spoke up.

“Alright,” he said. “You’ll have to introduce yourselves, but not today.”

Chris handed them white sweatshirts as they introduced themselves. Eno’s sweater had a big red eight on it. She contemplated wearing it but she really did not have a choice. Either put it on or sleep in drenched clothes, and catch a cold.

She chose the latter. She could not risk a cold, not when she had no idea when she was coming out.

“Pick up your duvets from the couch over there,” he pointed. “Each room has a number written on its door; pick the room with your number. We are done here.”

They all trudged to the rooms like sheep to the slaughter. Pauline had gotten the room across the hall from hers.

Eno prayed for the first time in many years. She prayed herself to sleep – asking for God’s help and assistance.

Sometime in the night, Pauline joined her on her bed, and they slept in each other’s arms.