Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry

Author:Brynne Rebele-Henry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2019-08-20T00:30:46+00:00

Part Four:

The Depths of the Underworld

I failed to escape. Failed to save Sarah.

That’s the first thing I can think when I wake up. I must have slept for only a few minutes. I go outside, my bald head like a giant fuck you to everyone, to Grammy for sending me here and to the counselors for thinking that they can break me. Sarah is still asleep. I walk my proudest, gayest strut into the dining room, where everyone is eating Froot Loops and whispering among themselves.

There are supposedly more than seven people here, but I’m starting to get the idea that only Leon, Sarah, Clio, Jason, Michael, Diane, and Karma regularly participate in the activities. And Karma looks like she’s about to leave; I can see her standing next to some packed bags by the front door.

Hyde sees me looking around. “Patients who have accepted Jesus can return to their families,” he says. “Patients who have progressed further in their therapies rest during the day.”

I decide that I don’t want to know what that means or why they need to rest.

Clio is pouring herself a bowl of cereal. She glances up, winks at me, mouths “nice hair.”

Leon whoops, “This one, she’s a cracker-fire!”

After breakfast Leon joins me on the porch swing. He looks at me sideways.

“You know here, they try to break you, but if you just pretend it’s a dream, it’ll be okay. I like to think of it as big gay party. Or summer camp. When I get out of here, I’m going to start a club.” His eyes sparkle. “For people like us. And I’ll play the ‘too sexy’ song every night, like they did at that place in Moscow. It was called Scissors and I think it was for the muffin eaters, but I went anyway.”

I wonder if Leon knows he’s getting American slang wrong, but I don’t correct him, just let him dream about his club.

When Leon and I go back inside, I see her. I watch her drinking the coffee that she talked Hyde into giving her. She told him she gets migraines and it’s the only thing that helps, though really she just likes how bitter it is, how it makes her teeth ache. She likes it better when coffee grinds fall into her mug and she can feel their grit on her tongue with each sip.

In the morning light her eyes always look gray. Today her short hair is fuzzy and so scruffy and sad-looking that it gives her the air of a sick baby bird.

Outside she rips off the pink clip and gives Char a look, like she’s daring her to say anything. Char just looks down at her cigarette; she’s let it burn down so far that it’s singeing her fingers.

I wince, holding my breath.

When Char notices me noticing the burns, she only brushes the ash off, ignoring the raw welts already rising up on her hand.

Leon says that Char uses experimental injections and pills that are designed to drug us into heterosexuality.

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