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"Ah, Mr Tucci Good ing on his waistband as though his wind pants need adjustment

"Yes, Mr Brockman, this is Ms Hamilton I’m sure you’ll show her the ropes"

Mr Brock, and I suddenly feel exposed before him "Not a probleht help to shield ood" With another smile for s after him

And I’m left with Mr Brock into e"

"The Cage?" I echo

He chuckles "Yep That’s what the kids call it The name kind of stuck Even the staff calls it that now" He nods to the wall of chain link behind his desk

Itsense What better way to reeneral population than to stick us down here with only ourselves for coe" consists of chain link stretching fro On the other side of the chain link there are about ten desks Only four students occupy the desks, all staring atabout the nu bad and is in jail

Iate-like door is the only way in or out Mr Brockman moves to open it "It’ll take thenments You’ll just have to amuse yourself for today"

The door squeaks as he pulls it open

I pause at the entrance, reluctant to move inside, to take the first step that will officially make me one of the besideme over in a way that makes me feel like a piece of meat

"So you don’t actually teach us?" I ask for clarification, scanning his attire He looks ylorified babysitter I started as a part-time sub, but they hired me full-time last year I just turn your work in to your teachers on the outside"

On the outside Teachers I’ll never eventhe others Three boys and one girl She’s no longer looking atinto the desk with her pen

"That’s Coco" He takes one e of his stolad for some female company Just been her in here with the boys since last year"

There’s so in his voice that makes the tiny hairs on my nape prickle, and suddenly I’e and the supposed killers inside--or Mr Brocko in just yet" His voice falls close to my ear "If you want you can stay out here a bit with ht now, in this e, I notice Coco’s pen holds still Her attention remains fixed on her desk, but I know she’s attuned to me To Brockman Her alertness reachese

Office of the Attorney General

Department of Justice Order No: 3109-09

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By virtue of the authority assigned to eneral, I, Samantha Jinks, hereby direct that all United States citizens be tested for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, otherwise known as HTS, within thirty days of the issuance of this command Persons who fail to comply will be taken into custody where they will sub standards accorded within their own locality

SIX

I SIT NEAR THE FRONT NEXT TO THE GIRL, COCO IT’S the obvious choice I’ether, their desks close It looks like they’re playing soht shoulders hunched over his desk He’s sh to pass for a freshs stretch out far beneath his desk and he rerown into his liine he’s a carrier Maybe he’s like me Maybe they made a mistake

Coco doesn’t look up from her desk as I lower into a desk near her She carves intently, her expression focused A quick peek at her work reveals an elaborate geoives in to think this won’t be so bad Boring, yeah But not bad Certainly not dangerous And then I hear a chair scrape the linoleu, but I don’t turn to look I stare straight ahead, pretending I don’t sense so he doesn’t exist and is coeoles to swirls now Her pen works faster on her desk, whirring on the air, the pitch re last year at the bank’s Christmas party

"Hey" The word hits the back ofmy fear, I look over my shoulder It’s only one boy He occupies the seat behindgray shirt with green sleeves that fits hih