she had finally fallen asleep out of the same
exhaustion I felt, or perhaps she was simply too
terrified to utter a sound. I couldn't blame her. Suddenly I heard the cry of something wild, a
coyote, I thought. There was another, then another. It
sounded like a whole pack of them out there in the darkness. They sounded like a pack of vampires. I wandered how Teal was doing and shuddered thinking
about it. Sleep would be a hard-won prize tonight. The long journey that had begun with a
disappointment and a betrayal was finally over. I
thought.
I was here.
This was my first night at Dr, Foreman's School
for Girls.
And all I could think was I was right about that
plane ride I took. Surely it must be the way the dead
are taken to their afterlife.
I'm in hell.
What else could it possibly be?
3
Three New Squaws
.
Even if our buddies weren't there to whip us
with their screams in the morning, the blazing sunlight pouring through the unblocked windows lit up the inside of the barn so brightly, it burned through our thick walls of sleep and dreams, melting away any determination and resistance we had to awakening. There was no question either of us wanted to wake up in a place like this. Teal, who I imagined was used to sleeping into the mid-afternoon when she didn't attend school, was probably in utter shock out there.
Almost simultaneous with the glaring light exploding around us came the shouts of the m'ladies to rise. I groaned and looked at Robin. She was awake, but she just lay there staring up. I turned and saw that the other two girls. Gia and Mindy, were already dressed and outside. When did they do that? Did they dress and leave in the dark?
As soon as I sat up, my back felt as if all the muscles in it were tearing away from the bones.
"Stand up!" Mlady Two screamed at Robin.
M'Lady Three lifted her bunk at the foot of it, then dropped it hard to the floor.
Robin cried out with pain. Reluctantly, she rose, groaning like someone in her eighties or nineties.
"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing her lower back.
"Did you speak? Did you say something without permission? I didn't hear anything, did I? Well?" M'Lady Two demanded, her nose so close to Robin's. I thought they would touch.
Rabin shook her head.
"All right then," M'Lady Two said, standing straight. She turned so she was addressing me as well, "This morning you will be introduced to your chores first and then you will be taken to breakfast."