Chapter 8 - The Mercy Cage

Charlotte - New York City, 1900

Charlotte - New York City, 1900

Prologue // Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 4 // Chapter 5 // Chapter 6 // Chapter 7

By the time I reached the door of the infirmary, I had lost track of the nurse. Tsk. I suck my teeth and begin wandering the endless corridors in search of the dining hall. While the house was as large as my own, it lacked any decor. Bland and boring as could be. I have seen a prison, but I suppose this is what it must look like. Even the poor I imagine have a bit of personality in their homes. This, though…The building may be grand in scale, but its inside is devoid of any welcome or warmth. My mother would have a fit were she to be made to host here. Watching her prepare the house and ready the staff are the only times I have seen her come alive. Most, I hear, delight in complaining about the workload and the pressures of it, but not Mother. She springs forward at every hiccup, discusses the menus in depth, pours over the perfect seating chart. She smiles. I wonder if she is smiling today. 

As I wonder whether I may ever find where I am meant to be headed for lunch, the sound of girls talking and silverware clanging draws me towards the dining hall. It is a large hall, with tables, and a line of girls waiting to get food. Some are seated with their plates already, but I head towards the line to finally have a hot meal. As I stand quietly, I take in the room. There are more girls than I expected, but then again, I don’t know what I was expecting here. How did they all get there? No one has caught eyes with me nor been friendly. No one seems to notice I have never been here before, how can they not? They all stand like the world weighs on their shoulders. Did their fathers drag them here too? Or just mine?