permit it.
"I said no questions," she declared. "But..." She raised her head and the very air seemed to
freeze around us. If I uttered another sound, lightning
might sizzle my brain. I thought. I bit down on my
lower lip. She smiled again.
"I don't want to leave you thinking that all that
awaits you is hard work, rules, and restrictions. We
will have wonderful sessions together, my group
therapy, during which time you will all have this, this
terribly dark curtain of pain and anger lifted from your
eyes. Believe me, girls, that will happen and you will
be grateful. I've seen it so many times before on the
faces of my girls. My girls," she repeated, her eves
glossing over as if she could see them all parading
before her, hugging her like high school graduates at
their diploma ceremony.
She was quiet again. We could hear a drip, drip,
drip of something in the plumbing above and behind
us. Her eyes slowly brightened, the gloss changing to
a thin layer of ice. She stared at us so long. I felt
uncomfortable and saw both Teal and Robin
squirming a bit on their stools as well.
"Part of your work and your life at my school
will be your confronting your own fears. One of the
best ways to do that is to be out in nature. Nature has
a way of tearing away all the conflicting, confusing
things that have distorted our vision of ourselves. In
nature you can make no rationalizations, no excuses,
fall upon your knees and beg for mercy. You either
become strong or perish. Everything out there teaches