Whatever you do, stay far back from her feet. She’ll kick like a donkey.

I curled into a ball, just in time. Her heavy foot drove the air from my lungs. I heaved with two more blows. Umph umph. My lips puckered and blood pooled in my mouth. Her leg swung back once more. My dread mounted. Back—up, up—for the blow, it swung. It would finish me. It would strike and I’d be done.

Don’t plead! Roll over and grovel. Play dumb. She likes that.

Instinctively, I obeyed. My shoulders convulsed. I lay down on my belly and turned my face up, a humble swollen thing.

She grimaced, unsatisfied.

If you can, drool and roll your eyes. She likes that.

My neck stiffened and my gut resisted one final time—No! I will not. I will—Oh, but the pain was bad. And her leg was swung back for the kill. I hung my head, rolled my eyes and let my lip hang. Drool trickled down my chin.

For a heavy second, her leg hung there, suspended with my fate. Then, finally, she stepped back, shaking life into her dominant hand.

I collapsed.

She cracked her joints. “For a First Brother, you’re a stupid mule, aren’t you?”

Make sure you agree with everything she says, but stay quiet.

With my cheek flush to the ground, I nodded vigorously.

“Now, let’s see if ten days in the Pit taught you anything.” She bent, grabbed me by the neck and breathed into my ear, “Do you need more?”

When she came for me, I’d been dreaming of my papa, judicious with his affection, but fierce. He would look me over from a distance, with his hands tucked in at the waist, until he found something familiar in my face—a crooked tooth, an attached lobe. Then, he would smile. His song was always the same, and he sang it over and over, until I repeated.

Say Papa.

Say Papa!

Come now, say Papa.

Say Papa.

Say Papa!

Come now, say Papa.

A tear joined the mess on my face as I looked up at Headmistress Jones. Silver fish eyes, yellow hair, a thin line of lip. “Please, no more,” I said. “Enough.”

She straightened and pulled me upright.

My nose ran, tracing jowls on my cheeks.

“Very well. Now, stand up and follow me.”

Her gaze sat upon me as I struggled to my feet, clutching the windowsill for balance. There was a thin line creeping up from the center of the pane. Once it reached the top, the glass would break in two. I froze.

If you jump now, the glass will oblige.