Sapling

the key trick

Novica: Morning, Elie.
[Novica yawns loudly, and peers over the edge of the bunk bed to see if her friend is awake yet. She can see Elie rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and listens as all of the other girls start to wake one by one, stretching and uttering expressions of their own tiredness to all who will listen. Novica listens to all of it and smiles; with luck, today will be the last day she has to spend in Roseling's.
It has now been just under two weeks since Novica was taken away from her sisling against her will and brought to this dunghill of a childerling-home. It may be of interest that Novica is rousing Elie at the exact same time as Loren is waking up from her nightmare.
These days have not been spent having fun-for Novica, work is her top priority. Her first job was to draw an aerial map of Roseling's. She did this at breaktimes, with Elie's help. It turned out the innocent eight-year-old was very good at calculating distance. This skill was of great use to Novica when examining the various rooms of Roseling's: she is indebted to Elie, and is not afraid to tell her so. Anyway, she feels that she has done Elie a favour by helping her to discover this useful talent, and, failing that, it has definitely built Elie's self-confidence.
By the end of the first week spent at Roseling's, the map was complete. Novica and Elie immediately started work on the plan itself. They decided they would first work out the route Novica would escape by, and tackle the problem of how to get out of the locked Ladybird dormitory afterwards. They circled the dormitory and plotted various routes via which one could reach the fence which encircled the childerling-home and its grounds, using a different coloured pen for each.
They took a few factors into consideration when picking their route: shortness, how close it passed to other dormitories, how much time was spent inside compared to outside (Elie told Novica she would be more at risk if the route included more time spent outside than inside, because she would be out in the open) and how easy it was to follow. Eventually they settled on the shortest route, which also happened to be the most easy to follow and it included more time spent inside than outside. The only problem with it was that it passed alarmingly close to other dormitories, but it steered clear of the staff ones, so Novica thought it would probably be ok.
Once they had their route it was time to work out how Novica would get out of the locked dormitory. They did some research and discovered that Emolli locks the dormitory door and turns the lights out at 8 o' clock sharp every night. Novica stayed awake one night and listened as the Roseling's staff bustled around in the corridor outside. The footsteps fell silent at around midnight, so Novica knew she'd have to make sure she left at half past at the earliest, to make sure that no one would hear her during her escape.
But despite this valuable information, neither Elie nor Novica could work out how to unlock a door from the inside. And now it's the morning of the day they scheduled for Novica's escape, and still they have thought of nothing. Novica is beginning to think they are going to have to postpone her getaway, and as she yawns from the top of the bunk bed the flood gates open and intense disappointment begins to seep its way into Novica's brain.
Elie stirs. "I don't suppose your dreams gave you any ideas, did they?" she asks. Novica shakes her head.]
Novica: Nope. Nothing. I don't even really remember my dreams from last night, anyway-only that they weren't nice ones.
[Elie cocks her head. "I'm sorry, Novie," she says eventually. "We did everything we could in the time we had. I don't think you can do it tonight."]
Novica: You never know. It might click in one of our brains during the day, and then there'll be no problem, and I can leave. Tonight. And get to Lorie by tomorrow.
[The smaller girl seems to be about to say something, but at that moment the dormitory door is unlocked and thrown open, and Emolli Pinkins grins broadly at all of them. "Rise and shine, girls!" she exclaims. "Breakfast will be ready in the hall in ten minutes, so I want you all washed and scrubbed and spanking clean in your clothes by that time." She closes the door again, but does not lock it, and each girl begins the unnecessarily laborious task of preparing themselves for the day ahead.
Half of the girls wash first; the other half dress first. As the girls clamour to be the ones to wash first, Novica climbs down to sit on Elie's bunk, and they each begin to get dressed. "Novie, do you-" Elie asks loudly, only to be interrupted by Novica.]
Novica: Keep your voice down! We can't have none of the other girls knowing about the plan.
[A little disgruntled, Elie pulls the map of Roseling's out from under her pillow. She seems to think better of saying what she was going to say, and instead the girls do what they do every morning, which is to go over Novica's chosen route meticulously, so that she knows every twist and turn of it. "So you're out of the dorm," Elie assumes. "Where d'you go next?"]
Novica: I turn left and walk down the corridor.
["How far?" Elie barks.]
Novica: Um, seven metres, I think.
["Yep, seven metres. And what do you do when you reach the end of the corridor?" asks Elie. And so it continues. Both of them are surprised by the time the test is over; for the first time, Novica gets every single question Elie fires at her correct. This produces different emotions in each of the girls. Novica feels elated because she was one hundred percent correct; but Elie only feels quite sad.]
Novica: What's wrong, Elie?
[Elie tries to smile, but she feels upset on Novica's behalf. "You really are ready to escape, you know, pussy," she tells her friend. "You know the route so well. If we only knew how you could get out of the dorm, the whole thing would be a breeze for you."
But before Novica can reply, most of the girls return from washing, and Novica and Elie both gather up their clothes and rush to the washroom, afraid of being late for breakfast. At Roseling's, there is no serious punishment for being late; some of the teachers of other rooms might shoot you a venomous glance, and the other girls might all stare at you, but aside from that, nothing of particular consequence happens to you.
Novica and Elie found this out a week ago when they got carried away discussing Novica's escape plan, and didn't notice that all of the other girls had left to go to breakfast. They barely washed that day, such was their rush to get to the dining room, but despite their best efforts they were both five minutes late. "It could have been a lot worse, though," Elie pointed out afterwards. "Did you see that girl who came in five minutes after us? She was so late the teacher of her room went to speak to her, but she didn't seem very cross and,u they only spoke for a couple of minutes. Did you see that, Novie?"
Luckily, on this particular day Novica and Elie get to the dining room on time, the last out of all the other Ladybird girls, but not far behind. In the dining room, however, the girls receive an unpleasant surprise: their usual quiet corner that they both sit in to eat has been taken by a group of older girls, and the only seats left are on the table Zowey, Peese and Meily are sitting at.
Very apprehensively, the girls take seats at the other end of the table, and hope they will go unnoticed. They eat their breakfasts swiftly and in silence and, as the tens are busy gossiping, they do not see the two quieter girls-the eight and the twelve-that is, not until they stand up to go and put their trays away.
"Hey, you," calls a voice. Novica turns-the one who spoke was Meily. "You're a loser." Zowey and Peese nod in agreement. Novica cannot help but retaliate, and she faces them quite bitterly.]
Novica: What I am ain't none of your business. If it help, the whole damn city thinks my sisling murdered Edwerd Ling, and you know, I think killer blood runs in families.
[This makes the tens shrink away from her slightly. Novica is about to say something else, but Elie is tugging and her sleeve, so she leaves them, reluctantly. She hears the other girls break into a nervous whisper as soon as they think she's out of earshot, and she catches the words, "Seen", "Ling", "murder" and "revenge".]
Novica: (So they know who I am now. I made a mistake. Yeah, I definitely made a bad mistake. Now they're gonna be even more against me, partly cuz they're scared of me now. Damn it, I'm turning myself in Lorie, slowly, bit by bit. If I carried on like this everyone's gonna be terrified of me just like they're terrified of her, even though I won't have done nothing. Not even Lorie did nothing. It's just unfair is all.) Elie, I shouldn't've done that, should I?
["It wasn't the best thing you ever did, pussy," is all Elie says in reply, which Novica knows is Elie's way of saying, "That's probably the worst thing you could have done in that situation." Novica grimaces.]
Novica: On the bright side, maybe we can do a bit of spying cuz lessons haven't started yet.
["Maybe," Elie says grimly. She turns to Novica suddenly. "Can we go outside?" she asks. "I've got something to tell you. I didn't want to tell it to you in the dorm because I was worried someone else would hear us." Surprised, Novica nods, and the two of them leave the building via the nearest exit. She shivers; Spring has not yet really taken a hold of Ling, and today is a cold day. She wraps her arms around her body and prompts Elie.]
Novica: So, what d'you want to tell me?
[Elie sighs. "There was a big fuss last night," she whispers. Novica has to lean closer to hear her through the roaring of the wind. "I got out of bed and pulled back the blind. I did think of waking you up-but I wasn't sure it was anything interesting at the time. Out of the blind I saw a group of Roseling's staff. There seemed to be some kind of alarm going off. And then someone stood aside and I saw someone who was holding a cage with a squirrel in it. So my guess was, a squirrel set off the alarm and everyone went out to see who it was but when they saw it was just a squirrel they called pest control, or something.
"But anyway, Novie, the reason I'm telling you this is because it tells us something-the fences around Roseling's are alarmed. So whenever you escape, you must be careful about the fences. Maybe you could climb under them or something." Elie looks at Novica shivering, and shivers herself. "We should go back inside now."]
Novica: I think so too. But alarmed fences-they're pretty damn tall, the fences, so...
[Novica looks into the distance, at the metal fence that encircles the premises.]
Novica: There's no space for me to go under, it's too tall for me to go over, and the gaps between the fences are too thin, so I can't go through them. This is... this is actually a problem.
[Elie tugs on her sleeve. "Let's go inside," she says. "Don't worry about it now. I'm only glad I found out about it before you attempted an escape." Novica nods gratefully, and they retreat back indoors, out of the cool wind. By the time they reach the Ladybird Room, lessons are just about to start. Novica and Elie sit down in neighbouring chair, and fight not to fall asleep during a lesson on the history of Ling.
Novica is forced to complete a worksheet on the fifty laws of Ling. The only one she knows for sure is the final one, Law 50: All childerlings being cared for by a guardian of an age less than twenty must be put in childerling-homes as their guardians are deemed unable to care for them at such a young age. She grimaces as she fills it in, thinking of Loren and knowing that this law is the only thing standing between herself and her sisling. Elie, on the other hand, bears a much smaller grudge to the law, having not been as close to her cousling Joni as Novica was to Loren.
But Novica's mind is only half on her work: she is thinking about her two problems. The first is how to get out of the locked dormitory, and the second is how to escape from Roseling's without triggering the alarm via the fences. She scribbles ideas on the back of her worksheet but she knows that none of them would actually work. She asks Elie twice if she has thought of anything, but she only shakes her head, and the second time Emolli points at Novica and tells her to stop talking.
After a quick snack break and a maths lesson, it is finally lunchtime. Thankfully, Novica and Elie are able to claim their usual inconspicuous corner of the dining hall. "Novie," Elie says, leaning across to her friend, "I think after lunch we should head outside and experiment with the fence." Novica puts her fork down and wipes her mouth.]
Novica: But won't someone see us? They'll think we're trying to escape. We'll get in trouble!
["Not if we practise somewhere out of sight," Elie observes, standing up and carrying her tray over to the washing-up board. Novica quickly follows her.]
Novica: But where is there that's out of sight here? Every area's got at least one window near-
[Elie empties her tray into the bin and puts it on the board. "Be quiet and follow me, pussy," she says impatiently, without looking up. She leaves the dining hall, followed by Novica, and they walk hand in hand towards the fire exit which no one is meant to use to get outside, but everyone does anyway. Once they are out of the building, Elie leads the way into a corner of the grounds Novica has never been in before. She is excited to see that not only is the fence very accessible from this point, but it is completely hidden from the views from the other girls who are playing outside, and the staff who are supervising them.
"See, Novie," Elie smiles. "We can try things out over here." She glances at the fence. "Don't touch it, though. I'm pretty sure they're alarmed during the day as well." Then all of a sudden an idea dawns on her, and she stares at Novica. "Pussy, if we can find a way of getting you over the fence, what's to stop you just leaving Roseling's right now? That way we can completely ignore the locked dorm problem."
Novica thinks about this, but eventually she shakes her head.]
Novica: They'd find out I was gone much quicker than if I went in the night. If I left right now, well, lunch'll be over in half and hour and Emolli will do the afternoon register and they'll find out I'm gone. But if I left at half past midnight, everyone gets up at eight, so I'd have eightish hours to get really far away before they even found out I'd gone. I'd have a massive headstart.
[Elie clearly sees the sense in this, because she nods slowly, but then she looks back at the fence. "Well, whether you're going now or not, we still need to find a way of getting you on the other side of that fence without setting of the alarm."]
Novica: Right. And how on earth are we going to do that, I wonder?
[The smaller girls shrugs at Novica. "We'll never know if we don't try," is all she says, smiling slightly at Novica's impatient pessimism. And so, for the rest of their lunch break, Novica and Elie experiment and give up and experiment and give up, in an unending cycle of alternate hope and misery; but eventually, with only a few minutes left of their breaktime, they think they might have something.
"This tree," Elie says excitedly. "I'm surprised we never even noticed it before! Have you climbed trees before, Novie?" Novica grimaces.]
Novica: Not really. We don't got no trees in our front garden, and Lorie never lets me leave the house without her. And even when we do go out, it's only ever to the foodshop, and there ain't no trees on the way. So, the short answer's no.
["Well, it's easy," Elie assures her, examining the tree. "Joni took me to the playground sometimes, because there was one really near us, and there were lots of climbing trees there. I used to love nothing more than scaling those trees as quickly as I could, getting a thrill when I reached a high up branch..." Elie sighs longingly, before turning back to Novica. "I promise you it's easy. Maybe have a quick try right now-we've still got a few minutes before the end of lunch." But Novica is still looking dubious.]
Novica: I'm not too sure 'bout this...
["Nonsense, pussy!" Elie exclaims, sounding slightly exasperated. "All you gotta do is get to that branch, the one hanging over the fence, and let yourself drop and voilà, you have escaped."]
Novica: Well, ok, then. I'll try. I'm not saying I'll be able to do it, but I'll try, for Lorie.
[Uncertainly, Novica grasps the trunk, and begins to inch up it, bit by bit. "That's good!" Elie keeps up a motivational commentary. "Yes, keep going! You can do this!" When she reaches the first branch, Novica faulters a little, but she manages to get into a somewhat comfortable position in which she is sitting on the branch, having checked that it was thick enough to take her weight.]
Novica: Where next?
["To the next branch," Elie replies immediately and, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Novica inches up the next part of the trunk until she reaches the next branch. Now there is just one small stretch of trunk between her and the branch she need to reach. "Yes, pussy!" Elie cries. "Don't stop now! Reach the last branch!"
Without a second thought, Novica pulls herself up the last stretch of trunk and climbs on top of the overhanging branch. From there she grins broadly at Elie, who seems to be very far below.]
Novica: So. Can I get down now?
[Elie shrugs. "Sure. The bell will go any minute now, I bet, so yeah, getting down's probably a good idea." But then she seems to remember something, and calls out when Novica starts to climb down. "Just wait there a sec, Novie," she instructs her friend. "Look down along that branch to the other side of the fence." Novica does as she's told, before looking back at Elie, who gets straight to the point. "Do you think you can jump down from there without getting scared?" Novica shrinks slightly.]
Novica: Well, I could jump from there, sure, but I'd be damn terrified. But I'd do it. I'd definitely do it. Cuz I know if I don't I ain't gonna be seeing Lorie for two whole years. I can't wait that long. Now can I get down?
[The eight-year-old nods. Relieved, Novica slips her way bit by bit back down the trunk until her feet land on the ground at the exact same time as the bell signals the end of the lunch break. Novica and Elie link hands, and look at each other. Novica smiles.]
Novica: One problem down, one to go.
["You sure you can do this, pussy?" Elie asks.]
Novica: Sure as sure. I got to do it. I'm gonna do it. Tonight.
["But we don't even know how you're gonna get out of the dorm yet-"]
Novica: I'll figure it out. You see if I don't.
[And with that the two girls walk around the building, enter it via the fire exit, and reach the Ladybird Room before most of the other girls. Emolli Pinkins is waiting for them with another boring lesson. Novica yawns involuntarily, and she and Elie take their neighbouring seats. They can't risk discussing the escape plan when there are so few girls in the classroom-someone would overhear them for sure.
So instead they content themselves with sitting patiently. The other girls who were already in the room when they arrived are all chatting noisily, so Emolli's eyes are naturally drawn to the two quiet ones at the back in the corner. She goes over to talk to them, knowing Novica's background but nothing of her personality, and not knowing a single thing about Elie. They looks down when she approaches, and Novica thinks bitterly that they should have talked about something other than the escape plan, just to look like they were as absorbed in conversation as the others.
But nevertheless, it is too late now, and Emolli crouches until she is at the same level as Novica. "Hello, girls," she says. "It's nice and peaceful over here, isn't it? This must be the quiet corner." If she expected a reply, she does not receive one, so she continues, unfazed. "I know you, you're Novica, but I don't think I know you, little one," she addresses Elie. "It's Elena, isn't it?"
"Yes," Elie answers in a small voice, "but I prefer to be called Elie."
Miss Pinkins smiles. "Of course. What do you like, Elie?" Elie tilts her head in a confused manner-Emolli quickly elaborates. "What are you interests? Or-or hobbies? What do you like to do?" Bombarded by questions, Elie faulters, but she manages to think of one thing to tell her teacher.
"I quite like drawing," she says quietly. "I like to doodle people and animals. Mostly people I know, but not always."
Emolli nods. "That's lovely, dear. How about you show Novica and me what you can do?" Elie shrinks back into her chair, and feebly shakes her head. "You don't have to," Emolli adds. "Only if you want to. I just thought it would be a nice thing, because I don't know anything about you." Novica cannot help herself but interject at this moment.]
Novica: But you know about me.
[Emolli sighs. "Yes, Novica, I do know a little about you, or rather, about a certain member of your family. But it's nothing to do with you, and in your position I'm sure I wouldn't like to hear it spoken of, so I shall not mention it." Novica resists the urge to tell her all about Loren's innocence. Emolli's attention has left her anyway; she has turned back to Elie, who has produced a little piece of paper and started to draw on it.
"Who are you drawing?" Emolli asks, before adding, "Do excuse me if that was a rude question. Was that rude of me?"
"No, I'll answer," Elie replies, looking a little more at ease. "It's not anyone I know. Just a picture of a girl I saw in the newspaper a couple of years ago." She sticks her tongue out as she draws, and Novica watches with fascination as the little girl's pencil twists and turns, painting the contours of the girl's face, until she holds it up, pleased. "Finished!"
Novica peers at it, before jumping out of shock. Emolli too starts when she sees the drawing. Elie looks at them puzzled. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asks.]
Novica: Th-that's Lorie. You drew Lorie! Wait-she was in the newspaper a few years ago?
[Elie is lost. "You're saying I've drawn your sisling?"]
Novica: Yes, you have-but can you just tell me what it said about her?
[Emolli rises. "I'm going to have to leave you girls now," she says, and Novica thinks she detects relief in her teacher's expression. "The rest of the girls have arrived and I need to start the lesson."
Once she's gone, Elie attempts to answer Novica's question. "I don't think the article was actually about her," she admits. "It was about some boy who'd died-I think it said they'd included the only known photograph of him, which just happened to feature the other girl-it didn't say much about her, not even her name, but at the end of it it had a quote from someone-Mrs Ling, I think, saying she and her husbandling suspected the girl in the photograph of murdering the boy."
Novica gasps, and looks at Elie in amazement.]
Novica: I knew it! They did start the rumour. Mr and Mrs Ling. The rumour that Lorie killed Werd. I knew it! That evil liar. He told me they had nothing to do with the rumour. Well, this proves they were the ones who started it!
[But at that moment Emolli starts talking about standard Lingish, and Novica has to open her workbook and start the lesson even though her mind is buzzing with thoughts. She endures the afternoon's various lessons in silence, not even interrupting her line of thought to talk to Elie, who accepts her friend's mood without question. A standard Lingish lesson, a maths lesson, and a science lesson, and then it will be dinner time, and then bedtime.
Novica is trying to think about possible solutions to the locked dormitory problem, but her mind keeps returning to the fact that the Lings really did start the rumour that Loren murdered Edwerd Ling.]
Novica: (That monster! I ain't never gonna trust him, never, he's horrible and he's a liar. All that politeness and kindness is all some kinda mask, hiding his true nature. I'm gonna see through it. It was scaring, when I met him a couple of weeks ago, and he almost made me believe him about some stuff. That's never gonna happen again. I know better now.
What am I meant to be thinking 'bout? Oh yeah, the dorm problem. Well, I've already gone through everything I could do at least ten times, and I ain't getting no new ideas. I can't break the door down cuz I'd wake everyone up for sure. I can't steal the key cuz I dunno where they keep 'em. I suppose me and Elie could do some snooping around, breaking into people's offices, but it seems a bit risky to me. We're trying to keep a low profile, and if we got caught doing that we'd get in big trouble and all the girls'd be talking about it. See? There's nothing I can do. Nothing. But there must be something... mustn't there?)
[And so Novica's thoughts continue throughout all of the lessons. Finally it is dinner time, and Novica forces herself to forget about what she now knows about the Lings and focus on having a good time with Elie. They sit down in their corner of the dining hall, and discuss ideas, but neither of them has a solution to the locked dormitory problem that will definitely work.
They are ignored by everyone else, which is just the way they like it. No one else is interested in two young girls quietly eating their dinners and occasionally exchanging a word or two. It is lucky these people do not know the subject of such so-called "words"-if they knew the girls were planning an escape their gazes would not slip so easily from them. Novica and Elie mostly talk about their families and how much they miss them, with Novica finding herself talking at length about Mr Haughton.
"That's really sad," Elie says when the tale is finished. "He loves her but she doesn't love him."]
Novica: Yep. I dunno the latest on Lorie and Mr Haughton, though, cuz I haven't seen them for two weeks. But I imagine Lorie's said sorry, cuz I don't think she could've survived these couple of weeks without someone to talk to. So they might've made up. Lorie might've started loving him for all I know.
["If we can solve the final problem, you'll get to see her again very soon," Elie points out.]
Novica: I know. And I can't wait.
[Having finished their dinners before all the other girls, Novica and Elie leave the dining hall and take a walk through the building, each girl absorbed in her own thoughts. They reach the dormitories and see that one group of girls are already going to bed. "Must be the twos, threes and fours," Elie whispers, craning her head in order to catch a glimpse of the small childerlings.
They stand in the corridor for a minute or two, watching as the teacher calms each little girl before kissing her good night. When they have all settled down, she leaves the dormitory. She sees Novica and Elie standing there watching the childerlings. "Adorable, aren't they?" she remarks, locking the door with a flourish.
"They really are, miss," Elie answers promptly. The teacher chuckles and, leaving the key in the lock, sets off down the corridor. This is the moment that a brand new idea dawns on Novica-one that is certain to work. She looks at Elie in excitement, who cannot understand what Novica is looking so happy about. "What is it, Novie?" she asks.]
Novica: Oh, Elie, oh, Elie! I know how I can get out of the locked dorm! I know! Did you see how that teacher left the key in the lock of the door?
[Elie glances at the door and nods. "Yeah, so?" she says, unconvinced.]
Novica: So, we can use an old key trick Lorie taught me years ago. I can't believe I didn't think of it before now! I guess I thought all the teachers took the key away after they lock the door. But no, they leave it in! Which means all I need is a small twig and a piece of paper.
You slide the paper under the door. Then, you push the twig through the keyhole 'til the key on the other side falls out-onto the paper. Then you pull the paper back under the door, and there you are. You got the key! You just gotta unlock the door on your side, and that's all there is to it. You've escaped!
[Novica giggles with glee, but Elie still looks unsure. "But Novie," she replies, "just because you saw one teacher leave the key in the lock doesn't mean all of the teachers do it. Emolli might take the key instead."]
Novica: Well, even if she does, it don't matter. I can just pull the paper back under the door and take out the twig. We don't get in trouble or anything no matter what happens. C'mon Elie, we need to go outside right now if we're going to get a good twig before bedtime.
[She starts to pull Elie away towards the nearest fire exit, but Elie refuses to move. "Right now?" she asks fearfully. "The grounds are out of bounds after dinner time. Novie, we could get in trouble! Why can't you just do the escape tomorrow night instead?"]
Novica: I just got a feeling I gotta do it tonight. Don't worry, we'll be extra careful. C'mon, Elie, before it's too late!
[Reluctantly, Elie lets herself be taken. The girls hurry outside and Novica quickly picks out a good-looking twig, which thin while not being flimsy. Then they head back inside before someone sees them out of a window. Novica clutches her twig tightly in her palm, knowing that this small stick is the key to her escape. When they get back inside, Novica suddenly remembers something.]
Novica: Elie, you got paper, right? We need paper.
["Yeah, I got paper," Elie reassures her. "I always keep some in my pocket in case I need it. That's how I had some when Emolli wanted me to draw something earlier." But before they can converse any longer, the "bedtime bell" rings, and Novica and Elie have to line up outside their dormitory. They are the first ones there, but this does not give them much of a sense of achievement. They talk quietly while they wait for Emolli and the other girls, about this and that, but they purposefully keep off the topic of the escape plan in case anyone is eavesdropping on them.
Finally Emolli arrives brandishing the key as if it is a sword. She smiles at Elie and swiftly unlocks the door. Novica notices with a spark of hope that she has left the key in the keyhole. Elie has noticed it too-Novica knows because she saw her friend's face light up momentarily. She can barely stand still as she undresses and puts on her pyjamas, and as she showers and brushes her teeth. She just can't help but fidget, and all she can think about is the fact that with any luck, she will be reunited with Loren tomorrow.
Emolli notices that Novica seems to be excited about something, but she does not question the behaviour-deep down the pink teacher admires her pupil for being so headstrong having come from such a frowned-upon background. She merely smiles to herself as she tucks in some of the eight-year-olds who need it, kissing each on her cheek, and once everyone has settled down and is ready to fall asleep, she turns off the light and closes the door, swathing the room in darkness. On the other side, Emolli locks the door and leaves. She does not remove the key from the keyhole.
Novica does not trust herself to fall asleep. She also cannot speak with Elie, because all of the other girls are still awake and they will quickly learn of her escape plan. Instead she stays as quiet as she can and pretends to have fallen asleep. Gradually, the other girls drift off into sleep, but Elie's breathing once again tells that her friend is still awake. She wonders if Elie is planning to stay up with her in order to see her off when she escapes. Novica hopes this is the case. She has become very fond of her friend, and knows she will miss her when she leaves Roseling's.
Once Novica is certain that the other girls are asleep, she whispers to Elie.]
Novica: Psst! Elie. Elie. You awake?
[She hears the smaller girl turn over. "Yeah, I'm awake," she whispers back. "What is it?"]
Novica: I'm gonna stay up so I can listen for when the teachers go to bed and then, half an hour after that, I'll make my escape. But that's a few hours of waiting. Are you gonna stay up with me, Elie?
["'Course I am!" Elie hisses through the darkness. "You didn't really think I wouldn't want to say goodbye before you go, and wish you good luck? After all you've helped me, I love you too much to just fall asleep right now. Without you, Novie, I'd have been alone these two weeks. You've shown me it's possible to make new friends, so hopefully I'll be able to find some nice girls to be friends with after you're gone. But I know none of them will be as nice as you."
Novica smiles, and they whisper together about various things for four hours. At times Novica feels herself almost falling asleep, but she manages to force her eyes open and fight the sleep that is trying to steal her away from her sisling. The girls listen as the teachers all go to bed at what must be midnight, and then they wait a little longer, until they are sure that all the teachers must be asleep.
At this point, Novica sits up in bed, knowing that she is as ready for this as she'll ever be. She smiles through the darkness at Elie, and the two of them get out of bed to say a proper goodbye. There are tears in Elie's eyes as she wishes her only friend a good life, and hopes that she will get back to her sisling safely. "I'll always remember you, pussy," she whispers sadly. "Always."]
Novica: And I'll always remember you, Elie, as my first ever best friend. I hope you make many more friends, Elie. And I hope you get to go back to Joni when he's old enough to look after you.
["Thank you, Novie," Elie sobs, trying to cry quietly so as not to wake the other girls. "Goodbye and good luck!" Novica gives Elie one final hug before borrowing some paper from Elie and performing the key trick. To her surprise, it works perfectly-she half-expected something to go wrong. The door swings open, and Novica is ready to go. She squeezes Elie's hand, and walks out of the door; Elie promises to lock it behind her, explaining that she'll slide the key under the door so it will look like the key fell out of the lock during the night.
Then Novica is off into the corridor. She remembers the whole route she must take and quickly turns left at the end of the corridor. She tries as hard as she can to walk quietly, but she is so eager to get out of this place she starts to run on tiptoes. But she has not gone very far before she becomes aware of rapid footsteps behind her, and that is when she feels a terrible sinking position in the pit of her stomach, and turns around to face her pursuer.
"There," grins Meily. Peese and Zowey are close behind, and reach them presently. "We got you now." Novica takes one step backwards.]
Novica: What are you doing here?
["We heard you talking about some kinda escape plan with the little girl," Peese explains, panting. "And after what you said this morning, we didn't want you to get away with it. So when Meily heard you open the door she waited until you were gone and then woke us two up." Peese looks slightly sheepish.
Meily elbows her. "Yeah, and now we've come to tell you you're not escaping from here on our watch." She leans forwards. "And we're gonna tell Pinky-Winky that you tried to escape so that everyone hates you."]
Novica: Will they, though? Not everyone likes this place, Meily. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was planning to escape. Sure, the staff'll hate me, but among the childerlings I'll be admired for my bravery.
[Meily looks slightly put off. "I tried to stop them doing it, Novica," Zowey interjects, pained, "but they wouldn't listen. I told them you could escape if you wanted to, but no, oh no, 'Novica needs to get what she deserves, no one likes you Zowey, you're such a goody two shoes, Zowey, no one listens to you Zowey." Even in the darkness Novica's adjusted eyes see Zowey shoot an expression of loathing at Meily and Peese.
"Yeah, well," Meily says, looking a little ashamed. "Zowey goes too easy on everyone. We want to really teach you a lesson, Novica, so you'll never speak to us like you did this morning ever again."]
Novica: And, if I may, what was wrong with what I said this morning?
[Meily spits at her. "It was a lie," she answers without hesitation. "I bet your sisling had nothing to do with Edwerd Ling."]
Novica: So the rumour didn't reach you. Hmm. But anyway, you're wrong. She loved him. She loved him with all her heart and they killed him. Them as made the law. Them as everyone looks up to. Them as is feared and respected everywhere. Them as is murderers.
[Peese claps a hand to her mouth. "You don't mean...!" she cries, staring at Novica.
"Shush!" Meily exclaims angrily. "Don't listen to her! All she says is lies. She's lying. The Lings wouldn't do nothing like that." Novica is getting increasingly annoyed and desperate; soon their voices are going to wake up a teacher.]
Novica: But they did-
[At that moment, Meily performs a swinging punch directed towards Novica, who quickly ducks. Meily's fist slams into the wall. "Damn it!" Meily says, crying out in pain. "I won't miss you so easy next time, just you wait and see." She forms her hand into a fist once more and pushes it out once more in Novica's direction, but this times Novica feels a small shadow-for it is little more than a shadow-run in front of her and put up its hands, blocking the punch. Meily's fist stops in mid-air.
First Meily looks shocked, but then she begins to laugh. "You?" she laughs incredulously. "You came to save Novica?"
"I came to save my friend," a small voice says defiantly.]
Novica: (Elie.)
["Well you're much too small to stand in my way," Meily answers. "Did you really think you'd be able to protect her, being that small?"
"I know I can protect her," Elie answers. She turns to Novica. "Pussy, run! I'll hold them off as long as I can. Just get out of here before we wake someone up!" Novica hates to leave Elie like this, but the little girl isn't taking no for an answer. She shoves Novica away and Novica starts to run, turning only once to see Elie ducking away from one of Meily's punches. Peese immediately starts to join in, and Novica prepares to run the rest of the route.
But suddenly, they are all interrupted by the most shocking noise they could have expected to hear at that moment. Meily freezes mid-punch; Zowey stares out of the window and blinks; Peese rubs her eyes; Elie shrinks down into a corner and shakes; Novica does not run. She cannot run. The sound has frozen her legs in place, and she feels only overwhelming terror. That is when she starts to run.
The gunshots ring out through the whole building. Already girls are waking up, wondering what the noise is, and the staff who aren't already awake are yawning and feeling very confused indeed, and a little scared. Novica runs through all of it. The steady rhythm of the shots becomes the rhythm of her feet as she sprints down corridor after corridor after corridor, trying her best to remember the route even when her mind is buzzing.
As she approaches the chosen fire exit, Novica becomes aware that an alarm is going off. She cannot tell what kind of alarm it is; she thinks that it could be the fire alarm, but if so all of the childerling and staff would already be up and running out of the nearest exit from the building. And anyway, that would not explain the gunshots.]
Novica: (What on earth is going on? Why is there shooting outside, and what's the alarm all about? I'm really scared. Really really scared. Really really really scared. I don't know what to do. I'd better just finish my escape. But there are obviously people outside! Someone's gonna see me running to the tree and climbing it, see me escape. Or maybe they won't cuz it sounds like there's a lot of confusion out there.
Oh no, oh no, oh no-everything's going wrong! Why now? Why this very night that I'm going to finally get outtta this dunghill? Why? First those tens confront me, and now gunshots. Things really couldn't be worse. I'm not gonna be able to do it, I'm not gonna escape, I'm just gonna get in a damn lot of trouble, yes I can, I can still escape, c'mon, you can do this, girl, c'mon, push on-escape-)
[Novica is overwhelmed with tiredness and an incapacity for all the thoughts that are flooding into her mind, but she does not hesitate before running out through the fire exit. It is lucky: if she took even a moment to think about it, she would not have done it-she would have returned to her dormitory, terrified and feeling like a failure.
She expected to see a large crowd of people gathered outside, and a lot of confusion, but she is surprised to see the grounds completely deserted. The gunshots have stopped, but she can still hear the alarm going off. It is at this moment that Novica realises that the alarm that has been set off is the fence alarm.
Without really thinking about it, Novica wanders in the opposite direction to the one she intended to go in. This is when she sees that the grounds are not entirely deserted. Lying in the grass twenty or so metres away is a body. Novica stops walking. Instead she stares at the body with increasing horror. Then she begins to run.]
Novica: It can't be. Oh, no. Oh, no. This changes everything.