Sara Shepard - Heartless

Bright and early on Tuesday morning, Hannas father navigated a narrow, woodsy back road somewhere in Bumblefuck, Delaware. Isabel, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, suddenly leaned forward and pointed. There it is!

Mr. Marin cut the wheel sharply. They veered onto a blacktopped road and stopped at a security gate. The plaque on the bars said THE PRESERVE AT ADDISON-STEVENS.

Hanna slumped in the backseat. Mike, who was sitting next to her, squeezed her hand. Theyd been driving around lost for a half hour. Even the GPS didnt know where they wereit kept bleating Recalculating route! without actually recalculating anywhere for them to go. Hanna had hoped with all her heart that this place didnt exist. All she wanted was to go home, snuggle with Dot, and forget about this whole train wreck of a day.

Hanna Marin, checking in, Hannas father said to a khaki-clad man in the security hut. The guard consulted his clipboard and nodded. The gate behind him slowly lifted.

The past twenty-four hours had galloped by, everyone rushing around and making decisions about Hannas life without bothering to ask her opinion. It was as if she were a helpless baby or a troublesome pet. After her panic attack at breakfast, Mr. Marin called the hospital Hanna was sure A had recommended. And wouldnt you know it, the Preserve at Addison-Stevens was able to accommodate Hanna the very next day. Next, Mr. Marin called up Rosewood Day and told Hannas guidance counselor that Hanna would be missing two weeks of school, and if anyone asked, she was visiting her mom in Singapore. Then he rang Officer Wilden and told him that if the press showed up at the hospital, he would sue the entire police force. And finally, in a move that further complicated how Hanna felt about her dad, he looked squarely at Kate, who was still lingering in the kitchen, no doubt loving every minute of this, and said that if Hannas visit to the hospital got out to anyone at school, hed immediately blame her. Hanna was so thrilled that she didnt bother to point out that even if Kate kept quiet about Hannas disappearance, it didnt mean A would.

Hannas father continued up the drive. Isabel shifted in her seat. Hanna stroked the two pieces of Time Capsule flag that were carefully nestled in her purse, one of them Alis, the other the piece shed found at the Rosewood Day coffee bar last week. She didnt want to let either flag out of her sight. Mike craned his neck, trying to get a view of the facility. Unlike Kate, Hanna didnt have to worry about Mike uttering a word about thisshed threatened to make her boobs off-limits if he did.

They pulled into a circular roundabout. A stately white building with Grecian columns and small terraces on the second and third floors loomed in front of them, looking more like a railroad barons mansion than a hospital. Mr. Marin killed the ignition, and both he and Isabel turned around. Hannas dad attempted a smile. Isabel still had that pitying, puckered-lips face shed been making all morning.

It looks really nice, Isabel tried, gesturing at the bronze sculptures and carefully maintained topiaries in the doorway. Like a palace!

It does, Mr. Marin agreed quickly, releasing his seat belt. Ill get your stuff out of the trunk.

No, Hanna snapped. I dont want you to come in, Dad. And I especially dont want her. She nodded at Isabel.

Mr. Marins eyes narrowed. He was probably about to say that Hanna needed to show Isabel some respect, she was going to be her stepmom soon, blah, blah, blah. But Isabel laid an orangey, cronelike hand on his arm. Its okay, Tom. I understand. Which made Hannas scowl even deeper.

She shot out of the car and began to haul her suitcases out of the trunk. A full wardrobe had come alongjust because she was being committed didnt mean she was going to walk around in a hospital gown and Crocs. Mike climbed out too and loaded the suitcases onto a large, unwieldy cart and pushed them into the facility. The lobby was a wide, marble-floored expanse that smelled like the clementine soap she kept on her dressing table. There were large, modern oil paintings on the walls, a bubbling fountain in the center, and a wide stone desk at the back. The receptionists wore white lab coats, just like skin care specialists at Kiehls, and youngish, attractive people sat on wheat-colored sofas, laughing and talking.

This doesnt look like Alcatraz, Mike said, scratching his head.

Hannas eyes darted back and forth. Okay, the lobby was nice, but it had to be a front. These people were probably actors rented out for the day, like the Shakespearean troupe Spencers parents had hired to perform A Midsummer Nights Dream for her thirteenth birthday party. Hanna was sure the real patients were hidden in the back of the building, probably in wire-mesh dog kennels.

A blond woman wearing a wireless headset and a sage sheath dress rushed over. Hanna Marin? She stuck out her hand. Im Denise, your concierge. Were looking forward to having you stay with us.

Uh, good for you, Hanna deadpanned. There was no way she was going to kiss this womans ass and say she was looking forward to it, too.

Denise turned to Mike and smiled apologetically. We cant have visitors past this point. Youll have to say your good-byes here, if thats okay.

Hanna gripped Mikes hand, wishing he were a teddy bear she could drag inside with her. Mike pulled Hanna out of earshot. Now listen. His voice dropped an octave. I snuck a Pepperidge Farm cheese Danish into your red suitcase. Inside it is a file. You can saw through the bars of your room and slip out when the guards arent looking. Its the oldest trick in the book.

Hanna laughed nervously. I dont really think there are going to be bars on the doors.

Mike put a finger to his lips. You never know.

Denise reappeared and placed her arm on Hannas shoulder, telling her it was time to go. Mike gave her a long kiss, gestured suggestively at her red suitcase, and then walked backward toward the entrance. One of his shoes was untied; the lace flapped against the marble floor. His Rosewood Day lacrosse bracelet flopped around his wrist. Tears blurred Hannas eyes. Theyd only been an official couple for three days. This wasnt fair.

When he was gone, Denise shot Hanna a crisp, rehearsed smile, swiped a card through a reader at a door at the far end of the lobby, and ushered Hanna into a corridor. Your room is just through here.

A strong scent of mint wafted through the air. Surprisingly, the corridor was as nice as the lobby, with lush, potted plants, black-and-white photographs, and carpeting that didnt appear to be speckled with blood or tufts of hair torn straight from crazy peoples scalps. Denise stopped at a door marked 31. Your home away from home.

The door opened into a dark room. It had two queen-size beds, two desks, two walk-in closets, and a big picture window that overlooked the front drive.

Denise looked around. Your roommate isnt here right now, but youll meet her soon enough. Then she explained the protocol at the facilityHanna would be assigned to a therapist, and they would meet anywhere from a few times a week to once a day. Breakfast was at nine, lunch noon, and dinner six. Hanna was free to do what she wished for the rest of the day, and Denise encouraged Hanna to meet and mingle with the other residentsthey were all very nice. Right, Hanna thought wryly. Did she look like the kind of girl who made friends with schitzos?

Privacy is of the utmost importance to us, so your door has a lock and only you, your roommate, and the security guards have the key. And theres one more thing we need to take care of before I leave, Denise added. I need you to surrender your cell phone.