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Chapter One

"Where am I?"

I heard the words, but I wasn’t sure I’d said theh, too coarse to bein the dark, saying, "Who’s there?"

"So it’s English, is it?"

As soon as the young woman moved to stand at the end of the bed, I could see that she was beautiful She had an Irish accent and strawberry blond hair in a shade that could never be anything but natural Soft curls frahtly freckled face with blue eyes and a wide s inpain behind my eyes--but I could have sworn I saw a halo

"And A to be very upset about this She wagered a week’s worth of kitchen duty you were Australian But you’re not, are you?"

I shook my head, and it felt like a borittedon me?"

"Well, you should have heard yourself, talking in all kinds of tongues--like the devil himself was after you French and Geres no one here even speaks" She walked to the small wooden stool beside ive us, but it was either bet…or worry"

There were soft sheets beneath ht shoulder A candle flickered in the corner, pale light washing partway across a sparsely furnished roo it mostly in shadow

Worry seemed appropriate under the circu backward on the thininto the cold corner ht, far too unsteady to run, but when the girl reached for rab her hand and twist her arle "What is this place?"

"It’s ht She just leaned closer to ht her free hand to my face, and said, "You’re okay"

But I didn’t feel okay My head ached, and when I moved, pain shot down s were a solid ed ht ankle, packed it in ice Sohtwhere I had coht at , fingering the gauze that bound irl placed a hand over o undoing it, now"

A crucifix hung on the wall behind her, and when she smiled, it was perhaps the kindest look I’d ever seen

"You’re a nun?" I asked

"I will be soon I hope" She blushed, and I realized she wasn’t much older than I was "By year’s end, I should take my vows I’m Mary, by the way"

"Is this a hospital, Mary?"

"Oh, no But there isn’t much in these parts, I’m afraid So we do e can"

"Who is we?"

A kind of terror seized s felt skinnier than they should have, her than I reive me a manicure to take their o Pink--but when I looked at one Blood and dirt were caked under the nails as if I’d crawled out of my school and halfway across the world on my hands and knees to reach that narrow bed

"How long…" My voice caught, so I tried again "How long have I been here?"

"No" Mary straightened the covers She seemed afraid to face me when she said, "You don’t need to worry about--"

"How long?" I shouted, and Mary dropped her voice and her gaze Her hands were, at last, still

"You’ve been here six days"

Six days, I thought Not even a week And yet it sounded like forever

"Where aree, I knew better than to try to stand "I need s I need…"

I wanted to explain, but the words failed ot back to school, I was pretty sure my teachers would failover the sound of thetoo loudly inside my ears

"Can you turn that down, please?"

"What?" the girl asked

I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the

"Make it stop Can you please make it stop?"

"Make what stop?"

"That irl slowly shook her head--"there is no ue, but I couldn’t I wanted to run, but I had no clue to where All I seeently placed theot quite a bus You’ve been saying things, too, just so you know But I wouldn’t worry about that People hear and say all kinds of crazy things when they’re sick"