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Fro ot four beds"

"I’ll sleep on the floor," Laura said

"This is against the rules," Rebecca said

Thelht," Rebecca agreed "I never said / didn’t want her to stay I just pointed out that it’s against the rules"

Laura expected Tairl lay on her back in bed, atop the covers, staring at the ceiling, apparently lost in her own thoughts and uninterested in their plans

In the oak-paneled dining rooluey reen beans-and under the watchful eyes of the Eel-Thelma said, "As for why Bowmaine wanted to know if she could trust you aloneshe’s afraid you’ll try suicide"

Laura was incredulous

"Kids have done it here," Ruth said sadly "Which is why they stuff at least two of us into even very s alone too er the impulse"

Thelma said, "They won’t let Ruth and me share one of the small rooms because, since we’re identical twins, they think we’re really like one person They think they’d no sooner close the door on us than we’d hang ourselves"

"That’s ridiculous," Laura said

"Of course it’s ridiculous," Thel Ackerson sisters-Ruth and moi-have a flair for the dramatic We’d coet hold of a chainsaw "

Throughout the room conversations were conducted inhall The third-floor Resident Advisor, Miss Keist, passed behind the table where Laura sat with the Ackersons, and Thelma whispered, "Gestapo"

When Miss Keist passed, Ruth said, "Mrs Bowood at what she does If she took time to learn what kind of person you are, Laura, she’d never worry about ’HI co suicide You’re a survivor"

As she pushed her inedible food around her plate, Thelht in the bathrooet up the nerve to slash her wrists"

Laura was suddenly iedy, absurdity and bleak realism, that formed the peculiar pattern of their lives at McIlroy One ly with one another; a irls they knew She realized that such an insight was beyond her years, and as soon as she returned to her room, she would write it down in the notebook of observations she had recently begun to keep

Ruth had ed to choke down the food on her plate She said, "A month after the razor-blade incident, they held a surprise search of our rooerous objects They found Tahter fluid and o into the showers, cover herself with lighter fluid, and set herself on fire"

"Oh, God" Laura thought of the thin, blond girl with the ashen cos around her eyes, and it seemed that her plan to immolate herself was only a desire to speed up the slow fire that for a long ti her from within

"They sent her ao months for intense therapy," Ruth said

"When she came back," Thelma said, "the adults talked about how much better she was, but she seemed the sahtly room check, Laura left her bed The deserted, third-floor hall was lit only by three safety la a pillow and blanket, she hurried barefoot to the Ackersons’ roolow She whispered, "Laura, you sleep on my bed I’ve made a place for et back in your bed," Laura said

She folded her blanket several times to make a pad on the floor, near the foot of Ruth’s bed, and she lay on it with her pillow

Froet in trouble over this"

"What’re you afraid they’ll do to us?" Thelma asked "Stake us in the backyard, smear us with honey, and leave us for the ants?"

Ta to sleep

Ruth turned out her light, and they settled down in darkness

The door flew open, and the overhead light snapped on Dressed in a red robe, scowling fiercely, Miss Keist entered the rooroaned "I told you we’d get in trouble"

"Co lady"

The swiftness hich Miss Keist appeared was suspicious, and Laura looked at Ta sleep She was leaning on one elbow, s thinly Evidently she had decided to assist the Eel in his quest for Laura, perhaps with the hope of regaining her status as his favorite

Miss Keist escorted Laura to her rooot into bed, and Miss Keist stared at her for ato the bed, she studied Laura thoughtfully "Is there anything you want to tellher about the Eel But what if Miss Keist waited to catch the Eel as he crept into her room, and what if he didn’t show? Laura would never be able to accuse the Eel again because she’d have a history of accusing him; no one would take her seriously Then even if Sheener raped her, he’d get aith it

"No, nothing’s wrong," she said

Miss Keist said, ’ Thele, full of false sophistication If you’re foolish enough to break the rules again just to have an all-night gabfest, develop so the risk for"

"Yes, et rid of her, sorry that she had even considered responding to the woman’s et out of bed and flee She lay in darkness, certain there would be another bed check in half an hour Surely the Eel would not slither around until ht, and it was only ten, so between Miss Keist’s next visit and the Eel’s arrival, she’d have plenty of tiht, thunder gruuardian! She threw back the covers and ran to theShe saw no lightning The distant rumble faded Perhaps it had not been thunder after all She waited tenelse happened Disappointed, she returned to bed

Shortly after ten-thirty the doorknob creaked Laura closed her eyes, let her ned sleep

Someone stepped quietly across the room, stood beside the bed

Laura breathed slowly, evenly, deeply, but her heart was racing

It was Sheener She kneas hiotten he was insane, that he was unpredictable, and noas here earlier than she’d expected, and he was preparing the hypodermic He’d jam her into a burlap sack and carry her away as if he was a brain-daifts