Page 42 of Dark Endures

Which is kid speak for he’s loving it. “How do you think you’re settling in?”

“Obviously not well, or I wouldn’t have been called to your office.”

Kinda true and also not true. Check-in meetings are normal for the older kids. Our goal is to get them on the path to a good life. “Not necessarily.”

“But it is this time.”

Let’s not play games. “I would still like you to answer the question.”

“Everyone is nice. The food is good. And the women are beautiful.” He grins like he knows he’s baiting me.

“We spoke recently about respecting women.”

Everett sits up. “Did someone say I disrespected them? Because I didn’t. I would never.”

And I believe he wouldn’t intentionally. “We need to have the birds and bees talk.”

“Birds and bees. Are you really that naïve to believe I don’t know how sex works?”

He’d be surprised at how many don’t when they arrive here. And how many know more and have sadly experienced far too much of it at their young age. “We can have that conversation, but I don’t think you need an explanation of the mechanics.”

“What’s with the birds and bees, then?” Everett folds his arms across his chest.

“Do you know what happens to kids that live on the streets without anyone to protect them?”

Everett’s brows wrinkle as his attitude fades away. “Yeah.”

“Especially to cute girls.” The thought of what these girls have had to survive makes me homicidal. Sometimes I want to stop being the head of this place and just go hunt monsters for a few decades, making the world a better place in a different way.

“Yeah, I get it. You don’t need to tell me some of these girls have been assaulted. I know that.”

“Do you? Because your actions say otherwise.”

“What actions? The most I’ve done is open some doors and pull out a few chairs. What’s wrong with that? If someone has said I touched one of them, they’re lying. I would never touch one of them.”

“Touch isn’t the only thing that can hurt women and girls who are in a fragile state.”

“Spit it out, old man. What am I being accused of?”

Let’s get frank then. “Flirting.”

“What?” He shakes his head. “Flirting isn’t a crime.”

“It isn’t. And you’re not in trouble.” Yet. Hopefully never. Though teenage boys—even ones as intelligent as Everett—don’t often use their brains when it comes to girls. “The brothers voted unanimously that you need a lesson.”

“No.” He stands up and backs away. “No way. You aren’t beating me or locking me in a cage.”

Everett’s words shouldn’t surprise me. But he seemed so normal. So well-adjusted. “I told you before, we don’t hurt kids. That hasn’t changed. A lesson here is actual education, not pain. That doesn’t mean you will enjoy the lesson, but you should learn something.” I reach for a slip of paper with an address on it that I prepared before Everett came. “You will show up at this address every morning at six in the morning and leave at six at night.”

“I told you that I’m not working for you.”

The stubborn tilt of his head mixed with the mulish look on his face makes me want to smile. “You can’t work there. All you need to do is sit in a chair and observe. You can bring a book with you, but no tech. Feel free to take a break as needed or ask the people there whatever questions you like, but you need to stay the entire week.”

“What happens if I don’t go? Will you kick me out?”

They all ask that. “No. We don’t work like that. This is about helping you learn. Nothing more. Nothing less. It’s not punitive. If you need to tap out, come tell me and we’ll find another way.”

“Tap out? There isn’t anything that you could throw at me that could make me tap out.”

---