Chapter79 Anna's Part

She's slowly working her way down the darkened hallway, using her hands like an insect using its antennae to feel its way around, when the lights suddenly come on. Anna quickly covers her eyes and squints; trying to adjust her pupils to the light. As her vision refocuses, a blurry image appears at the end of the hallway; then, starts to slowly become clearer. Mary's standing at the end of the hallway holding a shovel in her hands; sinisterly smirking. She looks down at the shovel; then, back up at Anna. "You do know how to use one of these; don't you, Anna?" Anna stares at Mary for a moment…not sure how to answer…before replying uncertainly, "You dig with it?" Mary laughs, glancing back down at the shovel; then, back at Anna…putting that same sinister smirk back on her face. "Well; I suppose it can be used for that, too." Mary slowly walks over towards Anna, tapping the shovel on floor; alternating between her left and right hands with each step. "Tell me something Anna; have you ever killed anybody?" Anna meekly answers, "No." "No? Hmm…Okay. Well, then…do you think you would ever kill anybody… that you could; that is?" Again, Anna answers in the same meek fashion, "No." "No? Not even if you had to, Anna…if your life depended on it?" Anna shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know." "Come on Anna, think about it…your miserable little life's depending on it… could you kill someone?" "I don't know." Mary ominously raises the shovel; positioning it like a batter getting ready to swing at a pitch. There's impatience in her tone as she chastises the fearful six-year-old little girl. "For Christ's sake, Anna, what do you need to know; your fucking life's depending on it! Can you kill someone? Can you swing this shovel and smash someone's head in before they kill you? It's not that hard of a question, Anna …I mean if you ask me; this is a no brainer! Can you kill someone, Anna? Your life depends on it; can you swing the shovel and smash their head…or, are you going to stand there and let them take it away from you; and, use it to smash in your little ‘melon'?" Anna stands there trembling; waiting to see what Mary's going to do with the shovel. Mary stares at her and smirks. "What if your mommy and daddy's lives depended on it, Anna? Could you swing then…or, do you just become another orphan?" She throws the shovel down on the floor in front of Anna's feet. Anna jumps back, and Mary laughs; then, turns and starts walking away. Anna… who's finally fed up with Mary constantly demeaning her…grabs the shovel and raises it over her head as she runs up behind Mary. Then, she stops…lowering the shovel in front of her with the spade touching the floor…and drops to her knees; resting her forehead against the handle. Mary…without turning around…stops, shakes her head and huffs, "You're pathetic, Anna; you know that? Think about what I told you; because, when the time comes…and it will; soon…your life's going to depend on whether you can swing it, or not. Remember that, Anna." She walks a few steps further and stops; still keeping her back to Anna. "Oh, by the way, Anna; don't worry about if your parents lives will depend on you making that swing or not…because, it won't. By the time that time comes… they'll already be dead." Mary disappears, and the hallway lights go back out. Anna remains on her knees holding the shovel; crying. "I believe the best thing we can do is wait for Ms. Steinman to arrive and tell us what it is she knows; then, we could come up with a plan to get Anna back without putting her in jeopardy." "Alrighty then, Professor; we'll wait." "But; how long?" Beth's deeply concerned with the idea of waiting. "I thought we only have until the eighteenth to get her back before they use her to…" Beth starts crying. Cindy puts her arm around Beth's shoulders to try to console her. "It's going to be alright, Beth; we'll get Anna back before the eighteenth. You'll see; she'll be just fine… it'll be okay."