The Annex

I opened my eyes and blinked furiously. I couldn’t see a thing; tears were stinging my eyes blind.

Look down fool...

I relaxed my neck and my head dropped. My eyes were cleared and tiny little blocks scattered the ground through thin wisps of chilly cloud. I gasped and my breath was taken by the wind; soaring over the rooftops, rustling the trees, caressing the grass and pulling the hair clear from my face. It returned my breath as the sudden realization defrosted in my mind: I was flying.

Physically and mentally- I was flying. The sickly feeling had disappeared, I felt as though a great weight had lifted from my shoulders, the adrenaline was overwhelming and it wasn’t the same feeling as punching a girl’s eye to a bleeding slit in her face. I stretched my lips in a frozen attempt at a smile.

With the sun set, I lowered myself to just below the clouds- the warmer cold air thawing my quivering cheeks. I scanned the ground for a familiar landmark, and, spotting the old railway south east of my present location, I did a quick oblivious citizen check before preparing myself for landing. My wings caught the breeze, fluttering gracefully as they delivered me safely to the ground. After fifteen minutes of sitting on the grass, coaxing consciousness back into my legs, I stood up and headed for the main road. Goosebumps spotted the areas of my back my torn jumper had left bare and I reached behind to adjust my wings over the naked patches. I jumped at the feeling of my own cold fingertips brushing against nothing but exposed skin and I fumbled around, searching desperately for the wings I’d quickly grown to love. The wings were gone, and two deep, raw wounds over my shoulder blades kept myself from questioning them ever being there. I stumbled to the on coming traffic lights, wondering if the experience was ever to be had again, pulling my jumper tighter around my shoulders and hissing at the burning pain as the fibers rubbed against the tender flesh.

A siren sounded some where close by, fading away as the officer on patrol reached for the switch and turned it off. I didn’t run, I didn’t quicken my pace even the slightest. Maybe I would’ve if I had remembered the reason I was out alone on the street.

Hands grabbed at my shoulders and the recollection burst into my thoughts a moment too late. I scrambled free only to be caught fast again and this time lifted onto the hood of a maroon police car in disguise. I kicked and flailed but the cop was too strong- he pushed me firmly against the cold metal and slapped on a pair of handcuffs before throwing me in the back and ordering me to buckle up. I whimpered as the cop got into the driver’s seat, buckled up and found a space in the fast coming traffic. The thick, shivering silence was interrupted by a second of static,

"Anderson to Green, I've got the girl, send a message; we're heading for the station,"

There was an inaudible jumble of words and I closed my eyes, defeated, losing myself in dreams and beckoning my senses back to the icy, exhilarating rush of the sky.

The ride carried on for longer than I expected. I had only run a few blocks away from the children's home; flying must have taken me further than I planned.

Flying.

I yearned to be in the air again, the exciting, icy pain locking my jaw, the deep boil of adrenaline rush, the cleanest of clean smells expanding my nostrils and filling my lungs; pain had never felt so good.

The cop took a sharp turn and –the handcuffs preventing me from securing my position- my body was thrown at the door. I winced as the skin around the wounds on my back caught on the sticky leather, stretching the wounds further and slicing at the boundary of unharmed tissue. Static filled the air once more and my eyes bounced up and down in time with the coil of plastic-coated wire connecting the walkie-talkie to its cradle.

Voice low, the policeman said, “Nearing destination,” before releasing his finger from the button. It looked click-able, and if circumstances were different, I definitely would have had a click.

The car rolled to a stop. The cop strolled over, opened the door and tugged me out firmly. His grip was strong, ready for struggle, though I made none and walked obediently into the station. The cop sat me down on a chair and my spirits lifted as he produced a key form his shirt pocket. Glancing over his shoulder, he inserted the key into the cuff lock, catching the part that swung open and taking the stainless steal bracelet off my right wrist. I rotated my hand cautiously before wedging it under my thighs to keep warm.

The cop didn’t unlock the other cuff like my brain had simulated, but took the already unlocked one and slapped it shut around the door knob behind my left ear. My left wrist was wrenched upwards to dangle and I sighed, making a mental note never to predict, wish, or do anything with the potential to push my hopes off a bridge.

A while later, there was commotion at the front door and Little Ms Finch bustled in, Embry hot on her tail. The pretty young red head still had vague smudges of red on her upper lip, her nose was set in a nose-healing contraption and her eye was covered by a large white patch. I snickered, I must have hit a larger range than I thought. She glowered at me through vengeful eyes. My stare was hard and she was the first to look away.

"Thank you ever so much officer," smiled Ms Finch, her hand placing itself on his broad chest and creeping across to finger his source of identification; a shiny -oh, so shiny- silver badge, "I can't express how worried I was..."

"It's my job," he said stiffly, removing her fingers with his left hand. Jenny-girl's face tightened at the glimpse of a gold wedding ring he subtly shoved in her face.I smirked, and Embry saw this.

"She broke my nose," she said, pulling the officer to attention.

“Arr!” I taunted, squinting one eye and making my fingers into a hook. Embry growled and the officer gave me a look.

"Did you violate this girl in any way Miss..." he looked through a set of files he collected from his desk.

"She doesn't have a last name, she was abandoned," spat Ms Finch. A flash of compassion twitched at Officer Anderson's lips and he quickly averted his eyes to the documents.

"Heron, the accusations claim that you punched Miss Finch unprovoked, severely injuring her eye, breaking her nose and fleeing without wanting to deal with the consequences. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"The question was directed at Heron, Miss Finch," Anderson said, sounding a little disgruntled.

"No, that is not correct."

"May we hear your view of what happened Heron?"

I took a deep breath, ignoring the scowls and strange rodent noises coming from the Finch duo.

"It wasn't unprovoked, I didn't flee and I really didn't mean to break you're lovely little sugar drop nose Embry darling," I pouted at the last claim. Embry grit her teeth, looking as if about to charge but Ms Finch held her firmly by the shoulders.

"So are you saying she physically violated you first?"

"Verbally,"

"Sorry?"

"In a racial kind of way,"

"Please be a little more specific Miss Heron,"

"Embry hurt my feelings."

Officer Anderson sighed, dropping the documents back onto his desk and folding his arms.

"Miss Heron, if you do not provide me with any explicit arguments I will have to send you to court with unprovoked assault and with the evidence we have at the present and let me tell you Miss Heron, none is in your favour."

"Send me to court? More serious fights happen every fucking day in the school yard, and you're sending me to court for this?" I gestured sharply at Embry's nose, "Like it fucking matters what claims I make, I'm black and they're white- that's all that matters!"

I breathed hard, staring heatedly into Anderson's grey orbs. I heard Ms Finch snicker something in agreement and she really didn't know how thankful she should have been for the handcuffs holding me in place.

"Miss Heron, this is the 21st century-"

"Tell that to them!” I nodded at the Finch’s and Anderson stared at me blankly, “Oh don't fuck round officer; you know it still goes on-"

"Not with me!" I jumped at the sudden anger in his voice, "My grandfather is in fact, African American, at least 10 shades darker then you and your ethnicity; I find it very offensive that you would accuse me of racial discrimination," his eyelids fluttered downwards and he looked slightly surprised at himself for the sudden outburst. Gathering his breath, he shakily gathered up the documents and shuffled them back together on his knees, "Now, Heron, could you please tell me what Miss Finch said to you..."

I lay on my bed, watching the light from passing cars dance across the ceiling through the blinds. I closed my eyes, folding my arms across my chest and thinking about my two month sentence. Officer Anderson agreed (much to the disdain of the Delightful Duo) that since the report was very, very small and really didn’t need to have been made in the first place, two months of community service picking up litter at Eastwood Park should fit the bill. Embry was charged with three and a half weeks of after school service at Falls Church Home for the Elderly to pay up for her racial discrimination.

Numerous sets of strong hands grabbed at my legs, arms and torso. I flashed my eyes open in a strangled scream.

"Pick her up!" ordered Ms Finch. I squirmed and flailed my limbs about desperately, hitting one boy square in the jaw. He stumbled backwards, allowing a gap for me to bound through and start towards the hall.

"Tyler! You let her go you moron!"

"She hit me!" Tyler scowled,

"Oh, grow up!"

I ran and I didn’t look back; what ever they were planning couldn’t have been a picnic in the Hundred Acre Wood. I saw a broad figure up ahead blocking the stairway and made to turn back only to find Ms Finch leading her cronies out of my room and straight toward me.

"Heron? What the-"

"Aidan! Help me!"

"Aidan! Get her, boy!" screeched Ms Finch, waving her arms wildly in the air. Aidan didn’t make any attempt to move, "Aidan, get her now, you're too old for juvie kid! It's cold hard jail for you buddy!" Aidan flinched, looking at me with sorrowful eyes.

"No Aidan, please, don't..."

I made to dodge him but he was too quick. He caught me fast by the waist and hoisted me over his shoulder. I screamed and thumped at his back but he barely felt a thing.

"Good boy Aidan!"

I clawed, bit, and punched all the way up to the attic where Aidan placed me gently on the ground with and with a small, “Sorry” disappeared back down the ladder, locking the trap door behind him.

Ass-Fucking-Hole-Fucking-Stupid-Mother-Fucking-Wanker-Bastard-Fucking-Jerk-Fucking-Fucker...

Hours had passed when there was a small creek and I bounded for the opening in the floor only to have Tylor pin me to the ground. Ms Finch calmly pulled herself up before gesturing for Tylor to let me go. There was a muttering below and I knew she had it guarded. What was Aidan thinking? He was already in jail.

Finchy pounded against the floorboards and the muttering stopped.

"Heron, you're new room," she smiled, gesturing at the slanted cobwebbed roof above, "Here's how its going to be, starting Monday its Croxley hall for you," I rolled my eyes and snorted in mockery, "After school you go straight to community service then straight back home. You won't do your homework; you will go for detention every break time, you're excuse won't be me, neither will it be community service. Meals depend on behaviour and you won't tell anyone that."

She grinned, drummed her fingers on the floor and got up to leave. Tylor grabbed me again and this time I didn’t struggle. As soon as Jenny Finch’s head disappeared down the ladder I gave him one in the crotch. He doubled over in pain, staring at me threateningly and stumbled for the exit. His head vanished, reappearing a second later to spit in my lap. I grit my teeth- he was going to regret that.

There was a muffled “Goodnight Heron Dear,” before the attic was washed in darkness. I scrambled over to the small window and pushed against the glass. Sighing, I let my head rest against the wooden bars of my prison and drifted off into a delicate slumber.