Chapter 4
“How can we be there if we haven’t moved yet?” said Reece.
The Professor ignored the question. He searched through the tabletop and chose a long, brownish, robe and slipped his arms through it then tied it shut with a thick rope. Squatting down, he rummaged through a bin and selected a wig with hair that fell nearly to his shoulders then crammed it on his head. He didn’t bother adjusting it by looking in the long mirror affixed to the wall beside his cot. Naturally, this meant the front of the wig was not square with his forehead, and the hair on one side was a bit longer than it was on the other side. Kicking off his shoes, he slipped into something resembling sandals. To give credit where credit is due, he did finally make it to the mirror giving it the briefest of glances. And, he did adjust his wig. . . not that it helped, because now the side that was formerly shorter was longer. Finally, he turned around and frowned in confusion as if he were noticing them for the first time. “Oh, yes, well, didn’t get out before the door closed, I see.” He drew his lips inside his mouth as he continued to frown. “Well, can’t be helped. You’ll have to wait for me here.”
The children’s spirits lifted when they realized that he meant to open the door. They could slide right past him and race home with Bear.
“On the other hand, I may be gone for several days, and I can’t have you wandering about.”
“That’s ok,” Sean began. “We’ll just leave and go home when you open the door.”
The Professor completely ignored Sean or perhaps he didn’t hear him. In any case, he squinted as he studied the two children. “You look too different from the other children to walk around the way you are. Your hair is too clean, too short, and too light, and you’re indecently dressed for where we are.”
The children looked down at their T-shirts, shorts, and brand-new sandals.
He squinted for a second time. “You’ve got too much skin showing, and it will just not do. You have to be covered up a bit more.”
Maybe the Professor was nuttier than they thought. Not knowing what to say, they remained silent.
The Professor cleared his throat. “ANNA,” he called. “ANNA, my dear.”
One triangle of light began to blink. “What?!”
The professor dug through the bin tossing wigs on the floor. “Could you possibly see what you can do to make these children presentable? There is some clothing in that small bin that may very well work.”
“I know where they are!” ANNA snapped. A rod shot up, and small propellers sprung out. ANNA rose from the floor, flew to the pile, extended something that looked like claws, and picked up the article that lay on the top. She turned towards Reece and emitted invisible rays to measure her height then hung the piece of cloth on a hook. Drawing out miniature scissors, she began to clip. In less than a minute, she picked up the cloth, and flew over Reece’s head. “Lift up your arms,” ANNA ordered.
Reece glanced at wide-eyed Sean then tilted her head back.
“Up!” ANNA roared.
Reece slowly lifted her arms and ANNA allowed the cloth to slide effortlessly over the girl’s arms and head.
Reece looked down at the plain colored material. Really, it looked like a feed sack, completely covering her arms and most of her legs. Only her sandals showed.
ANNA flew to another bin and selected something resembling a large, dead rat.
Reece couldn’t take her eyes off the wretched looking thing. She had deep hopes but grave worries as ANNA flew towards her carrying it. “I don’t like. . .” But, ANNA crammed it on her head before she finished the sentence.
The Professor cast a quick glance over his shoulder nodding his head in approval only frowning when his eyes reached her feet. “Put some brown polish on those,” he ordered. “Nobody wears purple.”
Reece put up with the ugly sack dropped over her head and tolerated the hideous wig being clamped onto her head, but when ANNA approached her with brown shoe polish, the girl stepped over Bear and backed up until the wall stopped her. “Mama just bought these for me!”
“Remain where you are!” ANNA ordered then dropped to the floor, turned the polish bottle upside down, and darkened the sandals.
This could very well be the last straw. Reece’s mouth hung open as she watched her brand new favorite pair of sandals ever being totally destroyed. Maybe she should kick this little grapefruit across the room. Something told her that it wouldn’t make any difference if she did. When ANNA flew away, Reece slowly turned and peered into the mirror. The girl staring back at her appeared to be suffering from shock and horror. She recognized her light brown eyes and tanned face, but a rat-colored wig replaced her sun-streaked brown hair. And what was this long sleeved thing she was wearing? She couldn’t allow her friends to see it. Once they got out of here, she’d tear everything off and toss them into a ditch. But how would she ever get that mucky stuff off her new purple sandals? Were nine year olds allowed to cry over sandals?
The Professor studied Reece for a few seconds. “She’ll pass, now the other one.”
“Does he mean me?” Sean whispered. “Because I’m not wearing a girl’s wig.” He turned to ANNA. “Uh, Miss Grapefruit.”
ANNA ignored him as she cut through material.
“ANNA,” Reece whispered.
“Miss ANNA.”
“Are you addressing me, young sir?”
“See, the boys in my school don’t wear wigs or dresses.”
“You will not be at your school, young sir.”
The cutting finished, ANNA flew above Sean’s head. “Lift up your arms!”
Sean lowered his chin and scowled then crossed his arms in front of his chest as tightly as he could.
“Up!”
Sean crunched his lips inside his mouth. “I am not going to wear a dress or a wig.”
The Professor turned from packing a cloth bag. “That is a tunic not a dress, and we cannot leave until you put it on. Wear the wig and once you see how everyone else looks, I daresay you’ll change your mind.” The Professor’s eyes dropped to Sean’s feet. “His sandals are brown, so they are passable.”
Sean thought for a few seconds as everyone stared at him. The door was not going to open until he put on the tunic, so he lifted his arms and allowed ANNA to slide it over his head then jammed the wig onto his head as well. . .might as well get it over with.
In complete misery, the two children stood facing what they hoped was the door and waited for the Professor to open it. Mere minutes stood between them and Mama’s sympathetic shoulder.
When the door slid open, they were desperate to get out and failed to notice that the trees and brush were denser and far darker than when they entered the hut. The day had turned much cooler, but, in their excitement, they failed to notice that, too.
The Professor attached a rope to Bear’s collar. Reece and Sean offered to hold their dog’s leash, but that was met with a wordless, distrustful glare. The Professor picked up his cloth bag, took a firm hold of the leash then stepped out with ANNA flying close behind. “Follow me, men,” he commanded. But, instead of going straight towards the pathway that ran behind their house, he made an about face leading deeper into the woods.