Hair, The Trees, His Car, Her Hands

The best day of my life was when I went on a nature walk with my mom. We
went to a forest where we'd never been before to look at all the trees.
Hannah with her hair pulled back runs through the trees: oak, maple, birch,
elm. She pumps her arms and pants, stray, wet hairs caught in her laboring
mouth. She tramples through low bushes, the small, spiny branches
scratching her freckled forearms. Her good dress wrinkled. Her Mary Janes
scufed. Weaing in and out through trees at a frantic pace, the child does not
stop. !ntil she spots a tree with crooks and knobby bark that reaches up into
the sky. Her breathing halts as she studies the monstrous ob"ect.
Hannah with her hair cut short mimics her mother#s stance. Hands on her
hips in bright pink tees, they stand ready in the shade of a smooth, white
birch. Hannah#s tennis shoes $dget on the freshly%mown lawn. &irds sing
encouragement. 'limb(
Hannah turns her head. Her mother#s hands laced with eins the color of
morning glories, capped with short nails rimmed with dirt, reach out. Hannah
steps into them. ) *uick bend of the knees and Hannah is up. She latches
onto the lowest limb, feet wiggling in the air.
+,hat#s it. -ow scoot your legs along the tree.+
Hannah struggles and kicks towards the trunk but her $ngers loosen and she
drops to the grass. Her mother promptly ofers a hand to help her up.
+-o,+ Hannah refuses. +. can do it myself.+
Hannah bends her knees, "umps to grab the branch, and misses.
/nobby bark scrapes the delicate skin of Hannah#s inner thighs beneath her
dress. 0uick and able she makes her way up the tree and settles on a limb.
She chokes the tree with her arms and holds her breath. ,he sound of wood
snapping and crunching, e1ploding like bullets, intensi$es. 2arge, running
feet approach, crushing the tender plants of the forest 3oor.
4rom her perch in the tree Hannah watches a red baseball cap pass below.
She s*uee5es her eyes shut and waits.
.n the birtch tree Hannah hums along with the birds, creating a song for
herself. She plucks teardrop leaes and sends them drifting down to the lush
green grass below. )cross the yard on the other side of the sandbo1, her
mother waes.
+,ime for dinner(+
Hannah holds the lowest limb and lets her body drop.
Hannah#s Mary Janes land on the brittle, dead leaes. She sprints of through
the spiny bushes, past the oak, maple, birch, elm.
Mom knew all the names of the trees. We picked the biggest one to sit beside
and eat our lunch.
Hannah e1its the woods and stops before colliding with a puke%colored, rust%
stained car. She recoils from the glare of the sun on the window before
dashing around the ehicle to the road.
)t the intersection in the distance a blue pick%up truck speeds by. Hannah
takes of towards the intersection, her speed faster now without the
hinderance of rocks and roots. Her dress balloons with air, her hair messes as
the elastic holding it together slips out.
.n a parking lot Hannah runs to her mother#s minian, stripping of her green
karate belt and holding it aboe her head like a streamer. 4lying. She crashes
against the car and waits.
When her mother $nally catches up with her Hannah pounces on her with a
hug. &etween e1aggerated breaths her mother tugs on Hannah#s braids and
says, +. can#t keep up with you kiddo.+
Hannah smiles. She pulls away and watches her mother open her purse.
,he pick%up is parked on the side of the road beside a +&edford 67 miles+
sign. Hannah waes her arms wildly at the truck. She snaps her head to look
back. 8ark paement disappears into the sky. She nears the truck and
struggles to slow her legs. ,he drier#s seat is empty.
She is about to yell for help when she spots a $gure lumbering through the
trees. She steps on the tire and climbs into the back of the truck, *uickly
laying down and hiding herself under a dirty, crumpled tarp.
We laid on an old sheet mom brought and looked up at the pufy, white
clouds. Mom twisted the grass between her ngers and made me a green
ring.
Hannah#s mother opens the minian door. Hannah is about to climb in when a
station wagon stops behind them. Hannah watches as her mother approaches
the open window.
+'an you tell me how far . am from &edford9+ the stranger asks.
Hannah#s mother approaches the car and leans in the window.
Hannah with her hair pulled back all neat and pretty strolls down the sidewalk
in her Mary Janes, swinging a backpack against her dress. .n her other hand
she clutches a school paper with deliberate penmanship and a big gold star.
,he tan, rust%stained car slows and pulls oer to the sidewalk where Hannah
walks. .ts erect antenna sways slightly as it stops. Hannah steps closer to the
open, initing window and leans against the dented door. ,he paper with the
star falls from her grasp.
&eside the woods on the side of the road a man e1its the car. He pulls his red
baseball hat down low on his forehead as he walks around the car to the back
door. He yanks it open.
Hannah lays on the 3oor, constrained with gray duct tape oer her mouth and
wrapped around her wrists. ,he man reaches down and strokes the patent
leather of her shoes before grabbing hold of her ankles. Hannah closes her
eyes and emits a mu:ed cry.
.n the woods he carries Hannah cradled hard against his chest as he runs.
When he stops she wiggles and slips from his hold, crashing onto matted
leaes.
He glares down at her. She looks up at hin through red eyes. -o one
breathes.
He watches her stand then peels the tape from her mouth and cups her baby
face in his hand.
Hannah bends her arms and brings her taped wrists close under her chin. She
turns away from hi and then whips around, raising her leg with a thrust to the
area under his stomach.
+)hhhh(+
He bends for a second in pain. )nd she runs.
2aying under the plastic Hannah stifens her msucles against the "arring of
the traeling truck. ,he wheels s*ueak and the truck comes to a stop. She
crinkles the tarp in her hand and pulls it below her face. ;er the edge of the
truck bed she can see the sun going down behind the top half of a mutilated
building.
She bolts up, whips the tarp of her legs and climbs oer the edge of the
truck. Without looking back she drops to the road and runs.
!nd that's why it was the best day of my life.
) uniformed o<cer stands besides Hannah#s mother, slumped on the couch
with her face buried in her hands. He places Hannah#s gold%star paper on the
cofee table. -eatly printed at the top are the words, +,he &est 8ay of My
2ife.+
,he front door bursts open. Hannah#s mother slowly lowers her hands from
her face. Hannah stands in the doorway. She sees her mother and she runs.