We’ll Meet Again

Written in response to

https://www.creativewritingink.co.uk/resources/writing-prompts/

 

Mary tried to write, her eyes brimming. Why would they make her do this? Make all of them do this? She finished her letter that told his date and time of birth, his weight, the name she had chosen for him, and placed it in the brown envelope. She was not allowed to write her own name. Her name was a slight of the holy virgin. Henceforth, she would be known as an Abomination number 356.

Where would he go? Sister Benedict had said it was for the best. “Who would want a mother with the mark of the cross? Branded as a slut and whore in the eyes of the church. Better not to know who she is than carry that shame.”

All the girls were sniffling, trying to contain their grief, knowing what would happen if they didn’t. They had all experienced the beatings, the days in solitary.

Unable to do anything else, she wrote on the outside of the envelope, hoping her beautiful baby would realise she hadn’t let him go through choice. On the bottom right-hand corner of the envelope, she wrote in the tiniest of handwriting, A356. Maybe her son could trace her one day. Sister Benedict snatched all the envelopes and disappeared from the room.

The girls left the table and raced to the windows. Looking out at the line of cars on the driveway, they waited.