Read Online Ordinary (Anything But) by Lindy Zart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lindy Zart
Ads: Link
minutes.”
“Where are the bathrooms again?”
She pointed to the doorway. “Hurry up.”
“Am I…” Honor’s voice trailed off. She swallowed, gathered her courage, and asked, “Am I a prisoner here?”
The woman’s lips thinned, but she said nothing , soon leaving the room.
Honor sank onto a bench and stared at the door of the closet until her vision blurred , covering her face with her hands. She felt so helpless. She didn’t know what to do. Not that she had any choice or freedom. What were they doing there? An image of Christian’s strained face flashed in her head. What were they doing to Christian? Honor straightened and wiped tears from her eyes. Stop crying. Crying doesn’t help, it doesn’t save anyone.
Nealon said none of her questions were being answered because of her conduct, but she’d asked questions while being obedient, and they still hadn’t answered her. Honor had the grim thought that that was how it would be all of the time. It didn’t matter if she was docile or not, whether she behaved or not. If they didn’t want to answer a question, they wouldn’t. They had all the power, whoever they were, and she had none. It was a humbling discovery and she hated it. Remembering the ten minute time limit, she quickly used the bathroom and opened the closet door. Shelves full of bars of soap, combs, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels and washcloths were inside. A pile of white garments sat on the floor and she searched through the tee shirts and cotton pants until she found a size small. Bras and underwear still tagged were next to the clothes.
Honor grabbed what she needed, undressed, and showered away the dirt and grime from the day before, turning the temperature as hot as she could stand. The water pounded her skin and scalp, cleansing her body and mind. She wondered if there were cameras watching her and was sickened by the thought. She worried someone would barge in the room and attack her, which had her hurrying to wash up. Wrapped in a towel, she quickly ran a comb through the snarls of her hair, wincing as her hair fought the comb.
The door opened and she went still. “It’s time to go.”
When the woman didn’t turn away or leave to give her some privacy, Honor said, “I need to get dressed first.”
Her face hardened. “No. You don’t. You were given ten minutes. You used it unwisely. Let’s go.” She reached for her arm and Honor jerked away, one hand tightly gripping the towel to her body.
“You’re not serious.”
“Tell me if I look serious.”
Honor stared at the woman’s uncaring face. She tried to find a glimpse of compassion or kindness in the woman’s tough exterior and found none. The woman was indifferent to her, didn’t care what happened to her one way or the other. When the woman continued to coolly gaze back, Honor realized she would not relent. She grabbed the clothes she’d picked out and clutched them to her chest.
Straightening her shoulders, Honor raised her chin and marched out the door and down the hallway. Her skin pebbled as cool air hit it. She stopped at the end of the hallway. It led into the room that used to hold worship and now had metal benches in it instead. A handful of people, young people, sat on the benches, looking around, talking. One thing that stood out among them was their clothing. They all wore white garbs the same as Honor had in her arms. The thing that stood out the most was their behavior. They didn’t seem afraid. If anything, they looked eager. Honor frowned, wondering what was wrong with them to be okay with where they were and what was happening around them. Were they delusional, drugged, brainwashed, what?
Jabbed none too gently between her shoulder blades Honor glared over her shoulder at the woman. “Move.”
She began to walk, aware of the attention she was drawing to herself. Half a dozen sets of eyes went to her and locked on her. Honor’s face burned, but she refused to look down
“Where are the bathrooms again?”
She pointed to the doorway. “Hurry up.”
“Am I…” Honor’s voice trailed off. She swallowed, gathered her courage, and asked, “Am I a prisoner here?”
The woman’s lips thinned, but she said nothing , soon leaving the room.
Honor sank onto a bench and stared at the door of the closet until her vision blurred , covering her face with her hands. She felt so helpless. She didn’t know what to do. Not that she had any choice or freedom. What were they doing there? An image of Christian’s strained face flashed in her head. What were they doing to Christian? Honor straightened and wiped tears from her eyes. Stop crying. Crying doesn’t help, it doesn’t save anyone.
Nealon said none of her questions were being answered because of her conduct, but she’d asked questions while being obedient, and they still hadn’t answered her. Honor had the grim thought that that was how it would be all of the time. It didn’t matter if she was docile or not, whether she behaved or not. If they didn’t want to answer a question, they wouldn’t. They had all the power, whoever they were, and she had none. It was a humbling discovery and she hated it. Remembering the ten minute time limit, she quickly used the bathroom and opened the closet door. Shelves full of bars of soap, combs, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels and washcloths were inside. A pile of white garments sat on the floor and she searched through the tee shirts and cotton pants until she found a size small. Bras and underwear still tagged were next to the clothes.
Honor grabbed what she needed, undressed, and showered away the dirt and grime from the day before, turning the temperature as hot as she could stand. The water pounded her skin and scalp, cleansing her body and mind. She wondered if there were cameras watching her and was sickened by the thought. She worried someone would barge in the room and attack her, which had her hurrying to wash up. Wrapped in a towel, she quickly ran a comb through the snarls of her hair, wincing as her hair fought the comb.
The door opened and she went still. “It’s time to go.”
When the woman didn’t turn away or leave to give her some privacy, Honor said, “I need to get dressed first.”
Her face hardened. “No. You don’t. You were given ten minutes. You used it unwisely. Let’s go.” She reached for her arm and Honor jerked away, one hand tightly gripping the towel to her body.
“You’re not serious.”
“Tell me if I look serious.”
Honor stared at the woman’s uncaring face. She tried to find a glimpse of compassion or kindness in the woman’s tough exterior and found none. The woman was indifferent to her, didn’t care what happened to her one way or the other. When the woman continued to coolly gaze back, Honor realized she would not relent. She grabbed the clothes she’d picked out and clutched them to her chest.
Straightening her shoulders, Honor raised her chin and marched out the door and down the hallway. Her skin pebbled as cool air hit it. She stopped at the end of the hallway. It led into the room that used to hold worship and now had metal benches in it instead. A handful of people, young people, sat on the benches, looking around, talking. One thing that stood out among them was their clothing. They all wore white garbs the same as Honor had in her arms. The thing that stood out the most was their behavior. They didn’t seem afraid. If anything, they looked eager. Honor frowned, wondering what was wrong with them to be okay with where they were and what was happening around them. Were they delusional, drugged, brainwashed, what?
Jabbed none too gently between her shoulder blades Honor glared over her shoulder at the woman. “Move.”
She began to walk, aware of the attention she was drawing to herself. Half a dozen sets of eyes went to her and locked on her. Honor’s face burned, but she refused to look down
Similar Books
