Chapter 11

When Annemarie’s parents had returned from their work they were panicked. While they had repaired the great generators under the red marketplace, their precious daughter had disappeared without a trace. Fear in his eyes her father had rushed back into the marketplace and told the other workers, engineers and clerks what had happened. They had assembled not after finishing the last repairs with haste and putting those that they could to a halt. With heavy winter jackets, thick trousers, hard gloves and boots they had rushed out of the red-ricked oldtown. The weather had been with them, as the sun had shone properly for the first time in a year. They marched through every corner of this concrete maze to find Annemarie.  

Some had turned back home as the dark clouds threatened to roll over the sky, but most remained adamant in their search. At last, they had braved the snowstorm and reached the last site they could think of where a little girl would hide from the storm.   

     With lanterns that shone like the sun, they had pierced through the heavy snowfall. They had looked looking for spots to hide. And there they had found her sitting deep under the voluminous overhang of the black tower.   

     With no delay, two figures rushed forwards and wrapped a large blanket around Annemarie.  

Annemarie was saved but would remain in bed for a long time. Her mother remained sick with worry and helped nursing Annemarie back to health. Her father wanted to return more often, but was in two minds, as he still helped everybody else too. What they agreed on was that had the weather been worse. Furthermore, they could have failed to recognise the danger as fast. If either of these cases had arisen the rescue would not have been successful.  

     Annemarie lost a month, and three fingers and a toe had been frozen off. But she knew that this was a little price compared to life.  

     Her teacher also came to look after Annemarie and after some vigorous persuasion, her father also stayed at home more often. The old chestnut vendor had been worried about Annemarie's father’s wellbeing. He decided to return from retirement and stay in for the overworked engineer.  

     But turmoil in the red brick plaza was far from over. Jack had become more and more agitated since he had heard of Annemarie’s rescue. He had hoped that the previous chapter of his life would never return to haunt him, but his luck had finally run out. A week after Annemarie’s rescue she had woken up and been clear-minded for the first time. She had asked about Jack and spoken up about the things he had done. Everything just burst from Annemarie as she detailed the harassment, the pressuring and the final straw she had received.  

     Everything had come out and Jack couldn’t sneak away from the repercussions. No amount of ranting and raging, lying and begging could undo the truth. Jack was to be punished.  

     One day he returned from school his parents let him take his bag off and sent him off. “You horrible, horrible child,” Jack’s parents told him off mercilessly. As he angrily walked away, he heard them yelling a few last words at his back. “Go outside and think what you have done!” they told him.    

     They knew he wouldn’t freeze if he stayed in the marketplace. They hoped he would learn his lesson and they thought that Jack would return and apologise eventually.  

     But as Jack stomped off angrily, something else took sprouted in his mind. It was an idea that had been sown a long time ago.  

     Jack could not understand their reasoning. He could not accept that his parents threw him out over some strangers’ child. It was his home and he felt like it was his right to be there. More so was his outrage at what his parents had done.   

     As Jack was grumbling about two children yelled, “come play with us!”   

     And he considered it. But another idea took control. It was clear to him that he deserved every benefit, yet his parent denied him the warmth of his own home. He deduced that he hadn’t been expressive enough in his past attempts to gain attention. Jack decided that he had to do something outrageous to show them his worth. And he knew what that action would be.