Exit God Out - Book One - The Unexpected Terrestrial

Exit God Out Book One: The Unexpected Terrestrial Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Anna drove the Subaru madly around Boulder, finishing her shopping as early as possible. In less than twenty-four hours, Maggie would turn six. Meyer had promised they could venture outside the lab but not leave the grounds. Anna was impatient to leave the white room that everyone loved to hate. She was never comfortable raising a child in such an abusive environment and was always watching for signs it may be affecting Maggie negatively, but the little girl insisted the room had the opposite affect and helped her awaken to the abilities she continued to discover. She appreciated the lack of distraction.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Anna believed raising a child would be light and fun, but Maggie was far from that. The stress of not being able to tell anyone about Maggie's unusual talents, the countless hours in an underground white concrete box, wondering if the whole experiment was a sham; what would the result be as the years pass? All she could do was to make it her mission to help advance Maggie's talents. She tried to learn the many languages, hoping to piece together the conversations between Maggie and her imaginary friends. The real question was if Meyer's experiment was a success or a failure.

The small stores in the town center were preparing for spring, and that meant the window dressing turned from red and green to bright rainbow washes. She found the perfect gift: a coat of multiple colors that Maggie could wear on their first visit to the great outdoors. Hopefully a hunter will see her before they shoot. She preferred to take the child into the city where it was safer, but a walk in the mountains, close to the lab was a reasonable second choice. Putting distance between her and the white room was a good start, and she didn't argue to Meyer about it. She kept her business-like demeanor when politics surfaced.

She bolted up the driveway of the small Boston Meyer house at the edge of Boulder, eager to pack up the car with presents and escape. She often stayed for long weekends and short holidays, as Meyer's staff had free use of it. Boston Meyer had one house in every city where a lab existed. Meyer did not like anyone mingling with hotel personnel or having their property found by the staff. His work was his alone, and the secrecy of every experiment was crucial.

Anna emptied the house and left for the lab, speeding along the winding highway. Maggie informed Anna there would be a dog in the white room on the day of her birthday, and not to panic. Rosenthal and Anna were the only ones that knew of Maggie's plan. Both women were more than curious to see if she was serious, as no one could sneak the dog in or out of the lab, unless someone was hiding a secret. Anna thought the doctor would be a good candidate to sneak a dog in. The doctor was suspicious of Anna.

She looked up and saw a small military helicopter above her car, and slowed down to avoid a ticket. The helicopter trifled with her, following her car until she reached the gates of the lab, then headed off into another valley. She waved to the pilot in hopes he would see her, but she knew they rarely cared once they took your plate number and sent you a bill.

"Edith is coming tomorrow morning," said Maggie. She doesn't want to miss my birthday. I think she's feeling bad for missing last year."

"Meyer was guilty, not Edith," said Anna. "Do you understand their relationship?"

"I know that Edith is an angel in training, and William Meyer will be back to try again," and both of them laughed.

"You have such an elegant way of putting things sometimes Maggie," and Anna chuckled to herself as she unpacked presents and put them in the corner with the other gifts in the white room. "Are you excited to see what outside looks like tomorrow?" she asked.

Maggie didn't respond. She turned to see the child's grin about to explode into laughter. She realized the question was redundant. Maggie was quite aware of how the planet looked without ever leaving the lab. Over the years, Anna had adjusted to the unexpected child and was no longer shocked or frightened at the outcome. She had turned her energy into positive thoughts about their future, and was making plans to see it come true. In a way, they looked after each other, sharing a bond and a boatload of secrets as only true friends can.