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“Introducing the new and improved Hannah,” Shelley announces as she rotates Hannah’s chair in the direction of the mirror.
“Tada!” she says enthusiastically. Hannah opens her eyes and gazes in astonishment at her reflection. Who is the girl that I’m looking at? she marvels. She doesn’t recognize herself. The girl in the mirror looks younger. Her hair is dark chocolate and glossy as it tumbles in loose waves down her shoulders. She notices that the girl’s face looks joyful and poised now, no longer morose. The smile that graces her face is genuine. Could this girl really be me? She reaches up and gently touches her soft, new locks. Hannah looks over at Sawyer who is smiling ear to ear at her.
“What do you think?” she asks him shyly.
“I think you look gorgeous, not that you weren’t already beautiful before,” he says, still smiling.
She looks at Shelley through the mirror’s reflection, who looks delighted with herself.
“I never thought I would hear you say those words sincerely to anyone,” Shelley says to Sawyer while snickering.
“So, what now?” Sawyer asks swiftly, trying to change the subject.
“Now we shop till we drop! Off to the mall, I’ll follow you,” she tells them.
Sawyer leads Hannah back to the truck and they get in. They drive to the mall, Shelley parks her car close to them.
“If it’s ok with you, darlin’, I’m going to leave you with Shelley for a while. She can bring you back to my place when you’re done,” Sawyer states to her.
“Are you sure you can’t come? What if he is there? What if he tries to take me back?” Hannah anxiously whispers to him.
“Babe, I told you before, you are safe. I’m not going to let that ba-, I mean guy get near you. You can trust Shelley, she’s tougher than she looks. She can take someone out if necessary.”
Hannah gazes at him, then looks toward Shelley, who is grinning, nodding her head in agreement.
“You’ll be fine, I have Sawyer’s credit card so hurry up before he changes his mind!” Shelley declares as she yanks Hannah toward the entryway. The anxious girl glances back at him one last time, then waves as he grins.
“Am I assuming correctly that you don’t have any clothes since you are wearing Sawyer’s?” Shelley inquires.
“Yeah, is it obvious that I’m wearing his clothes?”
“Yes, especially since you are in his coveted Led Zeppelin shirt that no one is allowed to touch,” she laughs.
“Great, well, where to first?”
“Let’s go in here, they have nice stuff and usually good sales,” Shelley says.
They stroll over to a store, and Hannah starts to feel as though she is being watched. A sick feeling grows in the pit of her stomach, like an anxiety attack. She quickly looks down to hide her face, takes deep breaths and walks behind Shelley trying to shield herself.
“What are you doing back there, come on,” she says while stepping aside to have Hannah walk next to her. The brunette continues to walk with her head down, using her hair as a curtain to hide her face. When they enter the store, Hannah finally looks up to find Shelley grabbing all that she sees. Hannah’s feeling of being hunted passes as Shelley leads her to a dressing room and orders her to try an outfit on. Hannah puts it on and opens the door. Shelley frowns while shaking her head.
“Nope, that won’t work, too big. Let me get another size for you to try. I’ll be right back.”
She hurries back with another outfit. When Hannah opens the door for Shelley’s inspection this time the violet haired woman seems satisfied.
“That’s your size, now this will be easier. Come with me and let’s find some stuff you like,” Shelley remarks excitedly.
Hannah follows her throughout the store. In the amount of time it takes for her to look through one rack of clothes, Shelley has already grabbed at least ten items for her to try on. Shelley chooses shirts and dresses that are black and dark gray. They are nice, but after being in the dark for so long Hannah wants to wear lots of colors. She doesn’t want to offend Shelley but asks that instead of the black dress if she could try the red on in its place. Shelley looks at her and notices that Hannah has a handful of yellow, red, blue, and white clothes. Shelley then exchanges her armful of dark clothes for brighter ones.
“I have to agree with you, color suits you much better than black. Sorry about that, I just always grab all dark colors for myself. I guess I forgot I wasn’t shopping for me,” she says apologetically.
“That’s okay, I just haven’t had much for so long, I really want to have some colorful clothes,” Hannah says to her.
The two women look through countless racks of clothes. Hannah can’t even fathom how many of the styles are categorized as clothes. The shirts are so short, see-through or low cut. The jeans have rips in them, which Shelley says is the style. Who would pay for ripped up jeans? Hannah looks at Shelley, bewildered. She giggles, saying that Hannah just doesn’t appreciate fashion. Hannah concludes that she doesn’t think that she really wants to be a fashionista after studying the options.
After what feels like hours, Shelley is satisfied with what they have chosen. The clothes won’t attract too much attention and will allow Hannah to blend in without difficulty. They are all modestly cut and cover well. Most importantly, Hannah feels very comfortable in them. The young girl has also made sure that the material of the clothes is soft and plush. She will never wear scratchy clothes again. Shelley suggests that Hannah change into a pair of the jeans and a shirt before they leave the store.
“Now let’s get some bras and panties,” Shelley says to Hannah while wiggling her eyebrows. She looks at the woman before her in horror and feels her cheeks heat up.
They walk to the next store with several bags on their arms and are greeted by a sales lady. Shelley asks the lady to measure Hannah, who looks over at her alarmed.
“It’s okay, just follow her to a dressing room, she will see what size of bra you need,” Shelley tells her as she takes in the young girl’s anxious demeanor.
Hannah is led into a dressing room with a curtain and is asked to raise her arms to shoulder level. The lady pulls the tape measure across her chest in several places and determines her bra size. Hannah is thankful that she can leave her shirt on during this process. The lady leads her out of the room, over to a drawer of bras that are her size.
Hannah glances around the store. She notices that no one else in here appears to be as mortified as she is. Some women are even holding the bras up to themselves while looking at their reflection. In the back of the store, she thinks she sees a glimpse of him. Her breath hitches in her throat, her instincts tell her to drop everything and run. She looks over at Shelley, who glances up at her at the same time and smiles. It must be nothing, I need to get control over this. She looks toward the same area again, everything seems normal. There is a woman standing there now, holding up a risqué black nightgown. Hannah turns red-faced again as she blindly selects three bras that are identical in style and color. Shelley observes this and makes a suggestion to Hannah about what she has selected.
“You don’t want all black bras, especially since you bought all bright colors of clothes. How about we get one beige, one light pink, and one gray. That way they won’t be seen under your clothes.”
This makes sense to Hannah and she agrees to this. Shelley then takes her over to the panties. Hannah determines that the colors don’t matter much, and selects the first style she sees in hopes of being able to leave quickly.
“Why don’t you get a few pairs of each style, then later you can come back and get more of the kind you like.”
Hannah is incredibly grateful that Shelley came with her. She has no idea what she is doing, but Shelley gently helps her with everything without making her feel foolish.
When the awkward event of purchasing her intimate apparel is complete, they leave the mall and walk back to Shelley’s car. The two women load the trunk with the numerous bags, then pull out of the parking lot to head to Sawyer’s house.
“I texted Sawyer to tell him we are on our way. He said to give him about thirty more minutes then he will be there. Let’s get something to eat and drive around to get to know each other better,” Shelley tells her.
“Sure, sounds like fun.” Not fun, what is she going to ask me? How do I respond without revealing too much? Hannah fears to herself.
Shelley breaks the silence in the car, “Let me tell you more about myself. My name is Shelley Jacobs. I’m twenty-three and I have always lived in this town. I dreamed of moving away to any big city, but I just never could force myself to go. I’ve been dating the deliciously handsome, Dave Peterson, for about three years now. He works at the pool hall near Sawyer’s place and goes to college. I’m not so patiently waiting for a ring,” she grins while holding up her left hand wagging her ring finger.
“I have known Sawyer since middle school. He was a little older than me, but we had the same friends. It was always me, him, and Bryce. When his parents died, he was really messed up. They died a few months before his graduation. He divided living with my family and Bryce’s family until he graduated. He moved to Vegas for a few years and studied under one of his dad’s friends to become a tattoo artist. That really shocked all of us, since he had always wanted to be a doctor. He was always clean cut, innocent, and quiet in school. It was shocking when he came back from Vegas with the tattoos, piercings, and this hard, bad-boy persona. If he lets you in, I’m not saying he will, you will see that he is a gentle giant. He puts up a front to protect himself from getting hurt again. I think the only people that really know the true Sawyer are Bryce and myself, and that’s because we didn’t let him push us away. If he seems closed off don’t let it get to you, don’t give up on him.”
Hannah looks at Shelley with a stunned expression. She can’t believe that Sawyer has gone through so much. She feels like she can relate to him better. They are both damaged, just trying to survive. One thing that really amazes her is that Sawyer doesn’t seem like the doctor type. She also can’t picture him as a quiet, innocent boy. He has never been harsh with her though. Hannah begins to wonder what Shelley means by defending himself. She thinks that he has been open with her, hasn’t he?
“How old is Sawyer?” Hannah questions.
“Let’s see, he is twenty-five going on fifty. Sometimes, I swear he is like a grumpy old man. His moods flip flop as bad as mine, but I have an excuse,” she laughs.
“Oh, I didn’t want to ask him and seem like I was prying or something.”
“He wouldn’t take it that way, he might give you a hard time but he is a pretty honest guy. You never need to worry where you stand with him, he doesn’t sugar coat anything. Well, at least anymore.”
“He has been nothing but kind and understanding with me. He has been great actually,” Hannah adds.
Shelley looks at the shy girl next to her, she thinks to herself that this girl could be the one that can bring her friend back from wherever he has hidden. Shelley smiles at the brunette, happy that Sawyer and she have found each other.
Shelley pulls into a fast-food drive-thru and places their order. They eat greasy burgers and fries in the car while driving around Lawton. She points out the movie theater, park, and some other stores. Hannah is really enjoying herself with her new friend. Shelley doesn’t treat her any differently or question her even though she has to know that something is off about the new girl. It’s invigorating to Hannah to just be a normal twenty-year-old in this woman’s eyes. Shelley goes on to tell Hannah about the people that work for Sawyer. She says that Bryce is all bark and no bite, but to be careful of Beau. He is all bark and all bite, whatever that means. She must have had a misunderstanding with him, Hannah reasons. Shelley declares that she is friends with Elise and Chelsea that work there also and that they all hang out together. Hannah is glad to know that she will be seeing more of Shelley, but it depends on how long it takes for her to find her dad.
Shelley’s phone vibrates causing her to look down at it. She says Sawyer has texted that he is home now. Hannah nods while Shelley begins to drive to his house.
“Shelley, thank you for the haircut and helping me with the shopping. I couldn’t have made it through the day without you. I’m also glad it was you instead of Sawyer. I don’t think I could have asked him if what I was trying on looked good or not,” Hannah voices to her honestly.
“I think he felt the same way! He was more than relieved when I told him we needed a girls’ day. Listen, I made you up a bag of shampoo, conditioner, brushes and some girlie soap. I put it in the trunk with your other bags. I’m sure you don’t want to walk around smelling like Sawyer all the time,” she giggled.
“Thank you again. I have never really had a friend, so I’m new to all of this. Thanks for being patient with me and not thinking I’m out of my mind,” she says to the woman sitting beside her.
“Hannah, no worries! That’s what friends are for. You will realize this soon enough, but you will have no problem making friends,” she tells her while grinning.
They pull up to Sawyer’s driveway and spot him walking out to meet them. He goes to the trunk and begins unloading it.
“We didn’t max it out, but we could have. You’re welcome,” Shelley smirks as she hands his credit card back to him.
“Well, did Hannah get all that she needs? Do we need to go back?” he asks.
“You tell me. She has shoes, socks, panties, bras, shirts, skirts, jeans, shorts . . .”
“Okay, okay, I didn’t need to know everything. Some things you can keep to yourself.”
Shelley knows just how to embarrass him and walks toward Hannah laughing. She hands the girl a piece of paper with her phone number on it, telling Hannah to call anytime. She wants to get together with the other girls soon and wants her to join them. Hannah thanks her again with a hug as Shelley turns to get in her car and leave.
The cautious girl follows Sawyer up the stairs back into his apartment, still with an uneasy feeling of being observed.
***
SATAN HAS GOT TO HER. She is tainted now. When I get her back, she will have to go through a deep cleansing ritual. I must get her back before that man does something to further stain her. Once he defiles her, she will no longer be able to carry out the plan set forth for us. All of my hard work will be for nothing. Does she not know that she and I are destined for something higher? We are the chosen ones to fulfill our god’s plan for salvation. These thoughts are running through his head as he watches Hannah from the dark alley across from the tattoo parlor. He had found her yesterday, quite by accident. He had scoured the creek and woods outside his home for her, expecting that she would be there. When his search was unsuccessful, he turned his pursuit to the path toward town. He looked in every ditch and under each overpass for her. He couldn’t believe that she had gotten away from him.
He walked down the busy street, tired and hungry. He hadn’t stopped searching since he had stirred from her attack. He had been on his quest for days. He stopped in front of a café to lean against the building to rest for a moment. He looked around, catching a glimpse of chocolate waves from across the street. Is that her? It can’t be. I taught her to trust only me. I am the Master, she wouldn’t dare go against me.
He continued to watch from his station as she got into a truck with a tall man. He saw her grin at this man, but she had a frightened countenance. She is glancing around for someone. She must me looking for me. She wants me to bring her home, he believed. He then raced to his car to follow the truck. He kept his distance as to not alert them that he was trailing them. He was surprised when the truck pulled into a hair salon. This man is trying to change his creation. He is trying to make her worldly. I see that he already has her dressing differently. What is he doing? Why would he destroy my hard work? He must be Lucifer. He wants to abolish my way to get to heaven. She is the only way to save salvation, and he wants to destroy her.
He waits in a parking lot across the street from the salon in his car, watching the door to the establishment. An hour passes when she finally emerges. Her appearance is changed, he doesn’t like it. He had made her the way he wanted, now it was ruined. He begins to formulate a plan in his mind to capture her. He knows that at some point she will be by herself, that’s when he will make his move. He will need to go to the store to get the proper supplies to carry out his plan.
He snaps out of his thoughts when he notices the truck pulling out of the parking lot. He quickly starts his car, shadowing them again. This time the truck parks at the mall. Perfect, lots of people, I can blend in. She will never see me as I chase her. He parks his car a row over, carefully exits, and stays hidden behind cars as he trails them. He stops when he sees the man talking to his girl again. This is when he notices that she is not only with him, but some purple haired freak. Please, my lord, don’t let these heathens corrupt her. Help her to stay on the path you have chosen for us. Help her to realize that it is her destiny to save mankind with me, to fulfill the prophecy you have set forth, he silently prays.
He follows the two girls into the mall after the tall man leaves them. He thinks that he will have Hannah back soon. He assumes that he can take the freak out easily and seize Hannah. He watches as they look at clothes in a store. Why is she choosing such hideous things to wear? Why would she pick a red dress? Satan is working on her. Look at how vain she is becoming. It repulses him, but he is determined to correct this way of thinking once she is back in the bunker.
After a long time, the girls walk over to a lingerie store. He watches in horror as his girl is paraded over to the bras. He sneaks in unnoticed to the back of the store to obtain a better view. Unfortunately, he didn’t see a cart that was next to him, he stumbles over it and causes a commotion. He ducks his head behind a stand and waits a moment. He rises to continue watching her. The freak is now showing her different styles of underwear. How dare this freak corrupt his innocent angel!
He begins to think of a way to get the freak away from Hannah. I can follow them. When they are away from others I can kill the freak. After I have Hannah back, I’ll come back and kill that tattooed Lucifer too. My god will reward me greatly once I complete this plan. Then I will again prepare Hannah for our greatest accomplishment, saving mankind. If she attempts to leave again, she will be used as an offering to my god, just as her mother was.
He peers at the women from a distance the rest of the day, until they are again at the tattoo parlor. He parks his car in the alley across the street and observes. He spots Lucifer help the freak and Hannah with the bags. He notices how Lucifer smiles at his Hannah. He is luring her into his evil trap. He knows she is needed for salvation, that is why he is trying to thwart the plan. Our god told in the prophecy that there would be one who would stand in the way. This must be him. I must cautiously study him. He will be stopped soon. I am the chosen one, along with Hannah. We must fulfill the prophecy. We will not fail. The man takes note of the address and pledges to return tomorrow to begin framing a plan. A plan that involves Hannah and Sawyer. A plot that he intends on carrying out very soon. A battle between good and evil.