the van. Across from us was a long, two-story, pitchroofed, pink-stucco Spanish colonial house with an
upper-level, full-length porch. The railings looked
quite fancy. I could see the six doors that opened onto
the porch. I imagined each one opened onto a room.
and I hoped each of us was to have one of those
rooms. All I could think of was dropping my head on
a pillow and curling up an a soft mattress.
"All right, follow us," M'Lady One ordered.
"This way." She started around the van.
Why weren't we going directly into the house? I
wondered, We were all so tired. Surely they were
tired. too. There just couldn't be more to this
orientation. The three of us stumbled after them. Robin kept looking from side to side like someone who wanted to break loose and run, but all I could see through the darkness was a corral, another barn, and a large shed. There was no road and there were definitely no other houses anywhere nearby. There were no cars going past and no sign of any road. Just a mountain range in the distance, silhouetted against the
blue black sky, now dazzling with stars.
Where were we exactly? I had no sense of
direction, but because of how long it had taken me to
get here by plane and van. I was sure I was at least
halfway across the country. It was a frightening
thought, to realize I was so far from anywhere and
anyone I knew. Vaguely, I wondered what my old
friends were doing at this moment. I envied them far
being asleep in their own beds. I even envied the ones
I knew shared beds with younger brothers or sisters. We were directed off to the right and brought to
what was outside showers. There were no stalls. just
three showerheads over a concrete floor,
'Get undressed and take your showers." M'Lady
Three commanded.
"This is a shower?" Teal muttered.
If M'Lady One heard her, she chose not to
acknowledge it. "You take a shower every night