Chapter 16 - The Mercy Cage

The sixteenth chapter of our thriller novel, in which the girls in the House of Mercy grow closer together from a night of laughter... or further apart?

Charlotte- New York City, 1900

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Prologue // Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 4 // Chapter 5 // Chapter 6 // Chapter 7 // Chapter 8 // Chapter 9 // Chapter 10 // Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 // Chapter 13// Chapter 14 // Chapter 15

        “I won!” “No, you were caught!” “No, I WON!” “I saw you in the first round!” We all devolve in laughter and loudly debate the winner of the epic game of hide and seek. Maybe I can survive these three months. I look around, and Anne is jumping on the bed. Fannie hits another girl I’ve not yet met with a pillow, who then slams her back. Marie hits Mary, who retorts by sticking out her tongue. No one dares to hit Harriet. I can’t say I blame them. I haven’t laughed this hard…ever. I don’t remember laughing much at home. A few times with my Mother, but we never laugh when Father is around, or much at school. Fannie jumps on Anne’s bed and then bops her on the top of her head with a pillow. Anne laughs so hard, she falls onto the bed next to Fannie. I have to admit, Anne has surprised me the most. With her dour nature around the House today, I could not have expected her to be more than a stick in the mud. Fannie and Anne look at one another and giggle. I glance across the room at Harriet, who sits on her bed, arms crossed and scowling. I have no desire to ever speak to her. 

Marie winds up and whacks Victoria sideways with a pillow, who flies across the room. We all stare, stunned, as she tumbles to the ground and squeals, “Pick on someone your own size!” Any harder, and she might have flown through the wall with her tiny stature! She releases her face from seriousness to laughter, and we all breathe a sigh of relief and join in. For the ultimate victory, while Katherine isn’t looking, Victoria sneaks up and puts all her might and force into hitting Katherine across the stomach, and Katherine doubles over, falling to her knees and crying out in pain. We all go silent. Katherine, unable to stand up, meets Victoria’s hand as she tries to pull her up. Some other girls resume their laughter and jumping between the beds, clearly not ready to crown a winner of this pillow fight. “Have a go then!” One shouts as another ducks and lets out a shriek. The girl still jumping has begun swinging her pillow around her head like a Medieval mace, daring anyone to come close and challenge her. “We’ll not go down without a fight!” Victoria cries. The surrounding girls jeer and grab their weapons, ready to launch an all-out attack when the door to the room bursts open, banging loudly as the doorknob slams against the wall and ringing with a bellow of “SIIILENCE”!