Unwed 💍

Chapter Twenty-Seven: I'd Rather Die Young

Izzy and Francine leapt apart as Sister Mary Thomas barreled towards them like a steam engine. Her face was patched red with fury, sweat curling the thin hairs around her habit.

"Are you hiding her?" The look in her eyes promised punishment if they were.

"She's missing? How?" Izzy did her best to feign surprise, praying her cheeks wouldn't give her away.

Withering under the nun's scrutinizing gaze, she shifted from one foot to the other, trying desperately to reign in her racing heart.

"We haven't seen her," Francine chimed in, her dark eyes flickering from the nun to Izzy. It wasn't a lie. They hadn't seen Dottie for days.

Sister Mary Thomas scowled at them. "Mara says she noticed she was missing right before the bomb drill this morning. She thought this was the first place she'd come if she'd run away."

The girls exchanged glances. "She isn't here," said Izzy with a firm shake of her head. "We haven't seen her."

"I'll be the judge of that." Sister Mary Thomas charged towards Izzy's bed, throwing the blankets off. Straddling her legs like a football player, she hoisted it up with her two hands, grunting. Nothing but dust rolled out from underneath. Her face shone red as a beat as she let the bed slam down on the stone floor, rattling the windows.

The little room didn't host many places to hide, and the search was over before it began. Her forehead beading with sweat, the nun stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Tell me the truth about where she's gone," she snapped. "Or I'll call your parents as I should have weeks ago." Her eyes narrowed in on Izzy.

"Have you looked in the bathroom? She could be hiding in the stall. She did that once when the doctor came..." Izzy tried to control the shake in her voice.

"Mara already looked there," the nun cut in. "She searched most of the home. Sister Mary Helen is searching the rest right now. Where else?"

Izzy took a deep breath. Her hands shook as she clasped them tightly together. Stick with the plan, she thought. She, Mara, Francine and Gloria had discussed what they needed to do to make sure everyone thought Dottie had disappeared—permanently.

She knew her next words would get her in a world of trouble, but she owed it to Dottie. She'd failed her once—broken her promise to be at her side when she needed her the most. This time she wouldn't let her down.

"There's one other place," she said.

"Spit it out," the nun growled, emphasizing every word.

"Dottie loves the beach," said Izzy slowly, lowering her gaze. Francine watched her from across the room as she fumbled over the words. "It's all she talks about. If she's run away, that's where she's gone."

"The beach?" The nun's eyes flew to the window.

The wind roared outside, bending the tops of the trees with its force. Dark clouds rolled overhead, signaling the threat of something ominous to come. For a split second, fear flashed across the nun's face. Izzy was overcome with a reckless feeling of satisfaction at the sight. The callous nun was human after all. With a twinge of dread, she realized she'd nearly smiled.

"When would she have..." the nun's gaze dug into Izzy accusingly. Then her face was overcome with a look of realization."You've taken her there, haven't you? You snuck out again? Regardless of my warnings! Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?"

Izzy swallowed nervously. "Once. I took her there once. It was the day some of the girls had consumption and we had to leave the building. She wanted to see the beach so badly. We built a sand castle. It was all she talked about after that." She left out the part that happened later— her exhilarating adventure to see Wes. Her voice grew soft, missing Dottie already. "She said it was the best day of her life."