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A Novel
by Catherine O'Flynn
She rode the escalator up to the ground floor, where the proper
shops, the fountains and plastic palms began. It was the school holidays, but
too early to be busy. None of her classmates were allowed to go to the centre
without their parents. Sometimes she'd bump into a family group with one of her
peers in tow and would exchange awkward greetings. She had picked up a sense
that adults tended to be uncomfortable with her solo trips out and about, so now
whenever questioned by shop assistant, security guard or parent she would always
imply that an unspecified adult relative was just off in another store. Largely,
though, no one questioned her, in fact no one ever really seemed to see her at
all. Sometimes Kate thought she was invisible.
It was 9.30 a.m. She retrieved her laboriously typewritten
agenda from her back pocket:
9.30 10.45 Tandy: research walkie talkies and microphones
10.4512.00 general centre surveillance
12.0012.45 lunch at Vanezi's
12.4513.30 Midland Educational: look at ink pads for
fingerprinting
13.3015.30 surveillance by banks
15.30 bus home
She hurried on to Tandy.
From What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn, copyright 2007. Reproduced with permission of the publisher, Henry Holt. All rights reserved.
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