ZONE 12 by Joanna Beaumont

Author:Joanna Beaumont [Beaumont, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Immersive Reads
Published: 2019-04-18T22:00:00+00:00

The laughter of children echoed along the fourth floor corridor. As she followed the happy sounds through an open doorway, Beth’s wakefulness oscillated in and out of focus. A waist-high white fence enclosing a children’s play area and nursery stopped her from roaming further.

Three boys with blue T-shirts pedalled red plastic tractors around a painted snake on the floor. ‘Bang!’ they shouted before crashing into each other and laughing.

A girl sat alone in a sandpit, singing and building a sandcastle. A pink slide held bouncy ringlet curls from her eyes.

Behind the wide windows of the nursery colourful letters and numbers hung from the ceiling. And inside, more children were sitting on a circle of yellow carpet, listening to their teacher read a story.

Beth gazed at the little girl in the sandpit.

Had she ever played on a real beach or felt the wind in her curls?

It wasn’t right to keep them locked up here, for years at a time, at an age when they didn’t understand.

Standing there, seeing them, hearing them, she felt ashamed she’d convinced herself it was okay and even in their best interests.

The little girl noticed Beth. “Have you come to play again?” she asked.

Again? An affectionate warmth rushed through her. The little girl was familiar.

Unable to shake the feeling she knew her, Beth watched the girl playing, lost again in her sand dreams.

“Mia, boys…come inside and listen to the story.” The teacher hurried the children inside, avoiding eye contact with Beth.

Beth sensed her presence was unwelcome.

The teacher gave a nervous smile and tucked her wayward, frizzy auburn hair behind her ears. “Can I help you?”

“Have the children ever played in a park outside?”

“This is a restricted area. How did you get in?”

“I’m sure there are lots of parks in the city. They could visit the city farm and feed the animals or go to the zoo, perhaps.”

Beth glanced at the little girl, Mia, stood up, brushing sand from her pink T-shirt and denim shorts.

“The city—where do you think we are?” The teacher’s expression changed to scathing. “I’m not talking to you about ethics.”

Beth gawked her lack of understanding at her. What was she talking about?

“Why did you come to the nursery?”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t intentional.”

“You should leave, or I will call security.”

“I’m going.”

The teacher followed Mia inside and closed the nursery door with a bang.

The children rushed to the window. They pressed their little fingers and noses on the glass and looked out at Beth.

Beth was drowning in confusion. She’d understood nothing the teacher said.

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