The Glass Castle Read online

  She could only hope that her father was out looking for her and Henry by now and that he had already alerted the authorities.

  Of course he has. He is looking for us right now. We’ll be home by breakfast.

  “What’s in the cart?” one of the guards asked, kicking the box with his enormous boot.

  Avery moved as far back and out of sight as possible.

  “Potatoes and blackberries,” the old woman said, a surprising unease in her voice.

  Avery didn’t know whose side the men would take if she called for help, but she knew she had a better chance defending herself against the old woman than against men with muscles the size of bread bowls and boots the size of planets.

  More words. More grunts. More kicking the cart.

  Finally, they opened the door to a set of narrow limestone steps that seemed to lead forever up an unlit stairway. Before Avery had time to think about what it meant for her own cramped and aching back and legs—

  Ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk.

  Someone—surely not the old woman—was dragging or pushing the cart up the steps one painful thud at a time. Avery slammed back against the boards, her head hitting the top and the sides and her knees knocking the front when she tried to brace herself. She wanted to cry out in agony, but who might hear her and what consequence might that bring? She bit down on the oily rag to keep from screaming. By the time the cart stopped, she ached all over and knew that even if she were able to escape, she wouldn’t get far.

  Was that the plan? Injured birds never fly far.

  A door opened to a stream of welcoming, golden light, and all at once everything became pleasant. Avery longed for more of the warmth that came with the light, no matter the cost.

  The cart creaked backward, stopped, and was pushed upright, and a crowd gathered around it.

  Avery peered through the slats.

  Shimmery fabric. Eager voices. Hushed tones. Dirty feet.

  When the old woman spoke, the room fell silent.

  “This one ’ere is feisty! She might bite.” Nervous laughter rose like steam from broth. “You know the rules. Don’t let ’er out of your sight even for a moment. If you can’t break ’er will by morning, send for me, and I’ll do it.”

  Avery didn’t like the sound of that, but before she could think about it too long, the lid to the cart was lifted and Avery was dumped out, a tangled mess of dirty white dress and long, gnarly black hair.

  The crowd gasped.

  Avery lay on her back and groaned, staring at the heavily painted mosaic ceiling as the crowd closed in around her. A sea of dirty young faces swam into focus, easily fifty pairs of unblinking eyes taking her in. Dozens of well-dressed kids with hungry looks and wide, expectant gazes.

  “What’s her name?” a boy asked.

  “Avery,” the old woman answered, untying Avery’s wrists and removing the cloth from her mouth.

  Suddenly Avery sat up. “How do you know my name? What is this place, and why am I here? When can I go home? My father will find you and he’ll prosecute you to the full extent of the law, I promise!”

  “Like I said, feisty,” the woman said, and she turned to leave.

  Avery jumped to her feet and lunged, latching onto the woman’s shoulders, intending to tackle her and pin her to the ground, but the woman shook her off with surprising effortlessness, fire burning in her black eyes. “Do not touch me, child!”

  “Or what?” Avery shouted.

  The woman swung a fist at Avery just as a pair of strong hands yanked Avery out of the way.

  “I’ll handle her,” a deep voice said.

  “Then teach ’er to show some respect. I should have left ’er in the woods to rot.”

  “Rotting might have been the better option!” Avery bit back.

  Snickers went up from the crowd.

  The woman disappeared into a dark stairwell and slammed the door as Avery turned to see who had spared her from the punch.

  The boy was tall, with shaggy brown hair and alarming green eyes bright as sea glass.

  “You’re welcome,” he offered with a smile.

  “Next time, don’t interfere!” Avery said louder than she intended.

  He raised his hands. “Okay.” Then, leaning closer, he added, “But at least talk to Kate. She’s nice. She’ll help you.”

  “Who’s Kate?” Avery snapped.

  He pointed to a girl with strawberry-blond hair, warm brown eyes, and delicate cheekbones. She stood out from the crowd because of her clean face and blue-blooded posture.

  And slippers.

  Kate stepped forward and put a hand on Avery’s arm.

  “Come with me,” she said quietly.

  And against her better judgment, Avery followed. But as they approached a dark hallway with no end in sight, she had a feeling that the worst of the day was yet to come.

  Chapter 4

  The News

  Arm in arm, Kate led Avery in silence down a long, narrow hallway lit by flickering candles on tall stands. A chill rose up around them as they walked.

  Finally, in a wood-paneled room with a long, rough-hewn table and dozens of straight, wooden chairs, Avery eased away from Kate and moved to stand on the other side of the table to put space between them.

  Trust no one.

  Avery didn’t want this refined girl being too nice to her. They weren’t going to be friends. As soon as she found Henry, they would race for home. She would carry him all night if she needed to. She would even let him talk endlessly about what they would eat for breakfast. She didn’t even care if her father forbade her from leaving the house for the rest of her life or yelled at her until morning.

  “Do you have any idea why you’re here?” Kate asked in a small voice.

  “How could I? I don’t even know where I am.”

  “Don’t be mad. Everyone is mad on arrival, but there’s no point. You’ll figure out soon that we all want the same things.”

  “What do you know about what I want?”

  Kate paused and seemed to look kindly at Avery for a long time. “Freedom.”

  Avery couldn’t argue with that.

  Kate continued, “Be patient. Answers will come in time.”

  “I don’t have time. I need answers now. Where are we, and why am I here?”

  “It’s complicated, but I promise you that following the rules will give you your best chance of survival.”

  “What kind of rules?”

  “No outside contact is allowed for any reason. And you must stay quiet.”

  Avery was too tired to think and too tired to argue with someone she didn’t even know. She had no desire to play games with this girl. Why had the boy with the shaggy hair promised that she would be helpful? So far she was as useful as a red-bellied turtle.

  Avery pressed her fingers to her temples.

  “You’d better sit,” Kate said softly. “There’s more.”

  Avery didn’t want to do anything this girl suggested, but because she was exhausted and sore, she collapsed into a chair as Kate moved to sit across from her, a gigantic bowl of fruit between them.

  Kate’s perfect hair, the string of glass beads at her neck, and her gold-colored dress that shimmered in the candlelight made Avery wonder what she must look like in comparison.

  Not good.

  “I have one important question,” Kate said. “Are you thirteen?”

  Avery had almost forgotten it was her birthday. She nodded miserably.

  “Interesting,” Kate said as a sort of relief seemed to wash over her.

  “Why does it matter?”

  “Everyone here is thirteen,” Kate continued. “You were the second person brought here today.”

  The boy from the raft. “Where is he?”

  “Sleeping.”

  Avery snorted and shook her head. She couldn’t imagine letting herself relax enough to fall asleep in this place.

  Suddenly ravenous, she pulled an orange from the bowl, peeled it, and began to e
at, the juice running down her arm. And it was the strangest thing. The fruit was the best thing Avery had ever tasted. Unable to stop herself, she ate the pulp, the juice, and even the peel.

  As Avery licked the stickiness off her arm, Kate smiled. “I’m on your side. I’m not your enemy.”

  “I don’t care. I’m not staying long enough to make enemies. Henry and I need to be free of here tonight.”

  Kate nodded. “Everyone who arrives says the same thing.”

  Suddenly, Avery remembered she hadn’t seen her brother since arriving—

  “Where is Henry?”

  Kate averted her eyes.

  “Where is he?”

  At Kate’s solemn stare, Avery pounded the table.

  “I don’t know,” Kate blurted. “I didn’t want to tell you, but we’re all separated from our brothers and sisters. But doing what we’re told keeps them alive.”

  Keeps them alive? Avery couldn’t speak. Oh, sweet Henry!

  Tears clouded her vision and the room began to spin. She had assumed Henry was traveling in a box behind her all along and was now being entertained by a group of girls in another room. When Kate said, “Everyone here is thirteen,” she meant it.

  Henry isn’t here. He is lost. And it’s my fault.

  She suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel his sticky hand in hers and to hear his endless chatter.

  And she knew with sudden certainty she would kill anyone who hurt him, starting with the old woman.

  Kate placed a hand on Avery’s arm, but Avery shoved it away and feared she would be sick. She stifled a scream that rose from the pit of her stomach and whispered, “Help me,” as thousands of pinpricks filled her head and her breathing grew labored.

  Kate called for someone, and soon Avery heard a voice that seemed far away but sounded like the boy with the shaggy hair.

  “You’re going to be okay,” he said. “I will help you.” Then to Kate, “Does she know where we are yet? Did you tell her?”

  “She’s not ready to know the truth.”

  Chapter 5

  Choosing Colors

  When Avery came to her senses, she was in a large, musty room filled with dozens of lumpy mattresses lined side by side and topped with drab, woolen blankets. A few wooden wardrobes lined the plain walls, and a gray stone fireplace cast a weak glow.

  She slid her gaze to Kate, who sat unmoving on the floor beside her.

  Avery pushed herself up, her head throbbing. “How long did I sleep?”

  “Maybe an hour. Are you hungry? Everyone else is finished eating, and if you miss a meal, you’re usually out of luck, but I know where the supplies are kept.”

  “I’m fine.”

  It was a lie. Avery’s stomach churned with hunger, but she couldn’t imagine keeping anything down.

  “This is where you will sleep tonight,” Kate continued. “The girls occupy this room and another just like it, and the boys live in two down the hall.”

  Kate held out her hand and uncurled her fingers to reveal Avery’s ruby flower necklace. Glancing both ways, she said quietly, “Keep this close to you. Things go missing here every day. I’d hate for this to disappear.”

  Avery lunged for it, yanking it out of Kate’s hand and putting it back around her neck. Why Kate had taken it off in the first place Avery had no idea. This necklace was her only link to home and everything she held dear.

  “One more thing,” Kate said, nodding toward the heavy velvet drapes that covered the windows, making the room darker than necessary. “We’re not allowed to look outside.”

  “Says who?”

  “They are always watching,” Kate said, barely above a whisper. “They know when we break rules or when we try to escape. Terrible things happen, Avery. For Henry’s sake, you must believe me.”

  Avery wanted to ask more, but a shriek from the doorway prevented further discussion. Avery looked over to see a group of girls marching toward her, beautifully dressed, but with dirty faces and unkempt hair. The contrast between their fancy clothes and muddy skin confused her. One girl had enough dirt caked under her fingernails to plant a garden.

  Their arms swung in unison, and they wore black ribbons on their right wrists.

  “You’re in my bed,” the leader said. She had straight, wheat-colored hair and a nose that turned up slightly. She also had the longest eyelashes Avery had ever seen, but they did nothing to improve her dull eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I passed out and—”

  “Now you do. So go.”

  “Come on, Ilsa,” Kate said. “She needed a place to—”

  “Well, she can’t use my bed. She smells like a horse.”

  One of Ilsa’s friends laughed, which only seemed to encourage Ilsa.

  “Look at her awful dress. For all I know, she has fleas.”

  “She’s had a bad day,” Kate said. “Just let her go.”

  “It would be a bad day for me, too, if I were forced to wear that silly necklace.” She reached out and flicked the ruby flower so that it swung behind Avery’s shoulder.

  Again, Ilsa’s friend chortled behind her.

  Avery felt something hot grow inside. This necklace was the last gift she had ever received from her mom, so it meant more than she could possibly explain to a stranger. Her mother had placed it around her neck and told her to wear it every day, and even though it was large and heavy, Avery had obeyed. To her, it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the world, even if it was a little gaudy.

  She rose and came face-to-face with Ilsa.

  “What is wrong with you? You don’t even know me.”

  “I know more than you think I do,” Ilsa said. “I saw you acting like a lunatic out there. Stay away from me and stay away from Tuck.”

  “Tuck?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know him. Twice in one night you needed his help. Really? You’re a good actress, Avery, but just so you know, he’ll help anyone. Don’t flatter yourself.”

  The boy with the shaggy hair. This whole conversation is because of a boy?

  “Don’t worry; I didn’t read into anything,” Avery promised.

  “Keep it that way.”

  “Let’s go, Avery,” Kate said.

  But when Ilsa glanced down at the flower necklace and smirked, Avery shoved her with all her might, sending her flying back onto a nearby mattress.

  Ilsa staggered to her feet and sauntered back, standing nose to nose with Avery. “You’ve just started something you won’t be able to finish. Watch your back,” Ilsa said, before heading toward the door with her flock of ladies in tow. “And don’t let that necklace out of your sight!”

  “I’m not scared of you,” Avery called after her, but it sounded weak.

  Kate smiled politely. “It would probably be a good idea for you to sleep in the other bunk room. Come with me.”

  Avery sat on her new bed waiting for Kate to scold her for what she had done.

  “You picked the right bed,” Kate said finally. “Right next to mine.”

  “Why did those girls wear black ribbons on their wrists?”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “It’s a silly little game they’ve created to occupy their time here. Once a group forms, they wear matching colors. If there’s a falling out, a girl can leave and wear a ribbon of a different color.”

  Avery looked at Kate’s bare wrist.

  “I try to be everyone’s friend,” Kate said.

  “Then shouldn’t you be wearing everyone’s ribbon?”

  Kate laughed until she fell back onto her mattress. Soon—despite her fear and dread—Avery was laughing, too. It had been the second most horrible day of her life, but she was laughing with a girl she had just met in a place she had never been.

  When the laughter subsided, Kate said, “Believe it or not, you’ll see that it’s not too bad here, even if we are here against our will and there are guards at all the exit doors.”

  “Then why won’t you tell me where we are?”

>   “I will, but you need to get your strength back first.”

  Avery was relieved when Kate showed her the copper tub and the soap made of olive oil. Never in her life had a bath felt so good. She soaked her weary muscles, scrubbed the mud off her legs and arms, and washed her hair before returning to the bunk room, leaving a trail of watery footprints as she went.

  As she wound through the rows of beds to find her own, she noticed dozens of girls were in theirs, whispering and giggling. It didn’t seem to Avery like they were as concerned about being kidnapped as she felt. This made no sense.

  She was grateful to find a clean, white nightgown—floor-length with long sleeves—laid out on her bed. She had feared she would be stuck in her dirty white dress until she returned home. She changed quickly, the fabric softer than any she had ever felt, and slipped under the blankets.

  She sank into the mattress, a welcome relief to her sore body, and waited until the candles were extinguished and the room settled under a haze of smoke. In the dark, she quietly ripped the seam at one end of her pillow and slipped off the ruby flower necklace. She tucked it into the feathers of the pillow, determined to keep it safe until she was able to head back home.

  Losing that necklace would be like losing her mother all over again.

  She couldn’t handle losing anything else.

  Avery glanced around the room to make sure no one saw.

  Only Kate stared back, unblinking.

  Avery lay on her back, eyes adjusting to the dark, staring at the intricate detail on a ceiling that belonged in a cathedral, not in a musty room where kids were being held against their will. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy, and sleep called to her.

  “If you stay,” Kate whispered, so faintly Avery could barely hear her, “I’ll find a way to give you back your brother and your mother.”

  You’re dreaming. You haven’t even told Kate about your mother.

  But Kate’s wry smile was the last thing Avery saw before she surrendered to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Food Fight

  Starving, Avery awoke to smells she had never experienced.

  She stood for a long moment staring at her clothes, laid out for her at the end of her bed. Mysteriously, her tattered white dress had been replaced by a beautiful gown unlike anything she had ever worn at home.