P.O.D

Mom says “I’m trying” a lot. Nothing changes.
“I’m trying too!” I jump out of the car, my voice sharp to make a point. I glance at my watch. The bus should arrive any minute. Mom’s right behind me with my valise in hand, waiting for a hug.
“You’re not going to say goodbye?”
Why should I? She’s the one sending me away. “I did nothing wrong,” I sulk, hoping she’ll change her mind. “I want to be here, not at Pod’s.”
“Keep an open mind, you might like it there.”
“I like it here. I like my room, my friends, my summer—here!” I state firmly. When mom makes an ‘open-minded’ request, it spells distress.
“Charlotte, it’s done, you’re going.” Mom grabs my shoulders and forces me to look at her. She looks tired and upset. She cries a lot. “I love you, Char—"
I see the lights and hear the honk of the approaching bus.
“I thought it’d be bigger,” I say. Mom walks over to chat with the bus driver, making sure I’m not going off with a killer. They talk about Pod’s proximity and time. According to mom, it’s a new camp for special children. Whatever that means. When she returns, she puts her arms around me, kisses my cheek, and says, “Be good for me, okay.” I shrug, pick up my valise, and we part ways. I know it hurt her. But once she cries about it, she’ll remember that I didn’t do this to us—she did.

“Mayor Fish!” a boy yells, opening the door for me. He snatches my valise before shutting the door and then asks, “What are you in for?”
“What do you mean?”
He drops my valise behind the driver and makes himself comfortable in the first row. I look around. There are five other passengers. A girl with striking red locks and a tiara waves at me, wanting me to sit with her.
“You could sit here and answer my question, or choose boredom and entertain the princess over there—"
“I can hear you, Mayor!” the girl snaps back.
Mayor smiles confidently. Does he really think he’s the better option? Mom says I like to burst people’s bubbles on purpose. Today, it’s true. I pick up my valise and walk towards ‘princess’. All eyes are on me. Rejecting Mayor Fish makes a statement. Who knew?
“Perry!” Princess introduces herself and scoots over. “Ignore Mayor. Trust me, it’s easy,” she pulls a tongue at him. Mayor rolls his eyes and turns his back on us. They must have history.

“Is this all of us?” I ask, counting the heads again. Pod was either unpopular or cost-effective.
“It is,” replies a boy with a Scooby-Doo bandana wrapped around his cropped sandy brown hair. His name, Dylan, is plastered on the top corner of his golf shirt. “This is us!” He pulls out a pamphlet and hands it to me.
“Pod: Place of Detention!” I read aloud. Mom lied. This doesn’t make me feel special.
“You sound surprised, new girl,” remarks Mayor, his back still turned to us.
“It’s Charlotte.” I’m more annoyed with Mom than Mayor. Special children? Seriously!
“Why’d you think I asked what you’re in for?” adds Mayor.
I continue reading the pamphlet. It states how a Madame Lenoir will monitor, advise, and guide seven troopers back onto the path of obedience. We must be the troopers, but path of obedience? Weird. I don’t belong here.

“Our parents must really hate us,” I say, handing the pamphlet to Dylan. The girl opposite him quits playing with her ponytail and says,
“I flushed my stepmom’s ring down the toilet. I didn’t want her to be my mom, and my dad didn’t care, which is why he wouldn’t listen. I thought if I showed him how much I didn’t like the idea, he’d rethink everything,” she sighs. “Obviously, he’s having the last laugh now, considering he couldn’t wait to send me here.”
“That was dumb,” Mayor delights in his commentary.
“Whatever, he got my message. Besides, three weeks with this Madame Lenoir isn’t going to change me or how I feel. I’m Isle, by the way,” she smiles at the group.
Mayor quizzes us on why we landed in Pod. The boy behind Isle is next—going in a line. I secretly hope we arrive at Pod before my turn.
“I’d rather be anywhere but home,” the boy replies. He removes his beanie, showing off long dark locks. Growing his hair out or avoiding haircuts—likely the latter. “The name’s Leighton,” he adds as an afterthought.
“You want to be here!” gasps Perry. She took the words right out of my mouth.
“Yeah,” he shrugs, then looks out the window. “I’ve heard some things—
The van swerves to the right, taking us with it, and then stops. I’m on the floor, Perry’s on my feet, Dylan’s elbow in my face, and Isle is on top of him. She must’ve over-swept to the left.

The door slides open, revealing the driver.
“Everybody out!” he smiles. It’s one of those creepy smiles, like it’s too late to get out.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” I whisper. I feel like I’ve been dropped into a scene from Courage the Cowardly Dog, and instead of a cottage, there’s a stony black triple-story house in front of us.
“There’s nothing but fields around here,” says the girl in a tennis kit—her parents must’ve been in a hurry to get her out of the home if she couldn’t change first.
“Junior League?” I say, making small talk.
“Unfortunately,” she mumbles, leading the way to the house. We’re right behind her when we notice the driver entering the vehicle and taking off. He wants no part of Pod either.

There’s no button to press or bell to ring, so I knock—it feels very brave of me.
“I’ve heard things too,” Mayor whispers. He gives one look to Leighton, then they both turn to me, like I should hold off on the knock. Too late! I pound my knuckles against the door six times, and then the knob turns. We step back in unison, watching as the door’s left ajar.
“Quite the hostess,” Mayor mocks, taking the lead.
I step aside, giving way for everyone to go in—I’m not that eager. Besides, I don’t belong here.
“Go on!” I pressure Dylan. He nods but stands still. He’s thinking. I think?
“Fine, I’ll go,” I frown.

“Are we just standing here?” I ask everyone. They’re just staring at the wooden staircase in front of us. But there’s candlelight blazing down the hall on the left, and a shadow lurking.
“I don’t think we should go any further, just in case…” Mayor doesn’t finish his sentence. We hear footsteps from the staircase. Perry moves closer to me, for protection. I can’t believe it—this Madame Lenoir can’t stay put for five seconds to give us a warm welcome, and yet we’re being detained? Unbelievable!
“Madame…” Mayor puts his hand over Isle’s mouth to stop her. Whatever he knows about Pod, it’s turning him into a weirdo. “It could be—
“Welcome to Pod!”
Mayor’s interrupted again, but this time we see her face. She’s tall, like a ghostly catwalk model. Her eyes remind me of mom—sad. She lost someone close.
“I love her style,” Perry whispers. Madame wears a red robe, black gloves, and a black gold choker. When she smiles, I notice a chipped tooth at the corner of her lip. She’s not creepy—yet
“Mayor Fish, Dylan Alistair, Anna Winstock, Perry Jones, Leighton Payne, Isle Kane, and Charlotte Wright,” she sighs, eyes locking onto mine. “Drop your bags and follow me.”

“Is it just me, or did it sound like we’re her dinner?” murmurs Mayor.
None of us disagree with Mayor. We all felt it too.
“This way, children!” Her voice echoes down the hall. As we walk, the lamps on the wall flicker to life, one by one. My fingers are crossed, my heart pounding like thunder, praying we aren’t walking into a trap where she’ll line us up and hunt us like prey. I’m only twelve, miss. At least let me get to thirteen.
“You must be hungry,” she says as we enter a room.
A long glass table dominates the center, laden with a bowl of cottage pie, green salad, and what looks like layered cake and ice cream. Seven stools circle the table.
“Tiramisu!” Perry’s mouth waters, pointing to the dessert.
“I’m glad you like it, Perry,” Madame Lenoir grins. She hasn’t even introduced herself yet. “Everyone, gather around the table. Mayor, Leighton, you two next to me,” she commands from the head of the table. We obey without contest, a group oddly compliant for a lesson in obedience.
“This is Pod…” she begins, but I stop listening—there’s a baby crying. Am I the only one hearing it? I can tell the difference between a baby’s tired, sad, and angry cries. What I hear now is anger.
“The baby—”
“Charlotte, talking over me or interrupting me without permission is rude,” Madame Lenoir cuts me off. I raise my hand over my heart. I didn’t notice, but my heart’s thunderous beats have stopped.
“I apologize, Madame Lenoir.”
“‘I am sorry’ is more genuine, Charlotte,” she commands.
“I’m sorry, Madame Lenoir.” I drop the ‘am’ on purpose. Already, I don’t think we’ll get along.
“If you want to enjoy your summer and survive this place, you must follow the rules. And today’s rule may not be tomorrow’s.” Madame Lenoir spins around gleefully, then starts circling the table. “Everyone eats, then Charlotte and Dylan, clear the table. Mayor and Leighton, wash the dishes. Anna, Isle, and Perry, you’ll sweep and mop both the kitchen and this floor.”
I’m confused. Those weren’t rules, they were instructions.
“Anna,” Madame Lenoir places her hands on tennis girl’s shoulders. “Ask a question?”
Anna isn’t alarmed. “Where’s the kitchen?”
“Down this hall, the next room.” Madame Lenoir lets go of Anna and stands behind Dylan at the end of the table. “Perry, next question.”
Perry’s face turns red with nerves. “Where do we sleep?”
I could’ve applauded—that was my question.
“Second floor. Girls’ rooms are on the right side of the hall, boys’ on the left. There’s a full bathroom on both ends.” Madame Lenoir is behind me now. I can smell her perfume—something oriental. One hand goes over my shoulder, lingering close to my neck. All I’m thinking is, “Thirteen, thirteen. Please let me get to thirteen.” Also, “Tulips! I don’t have a question.”
“Leighton, last question.”
Leighton?
“What are the rules?” asks Leighton.
Madame Lenoir’s fingers brush against the nape of my neck as she begins to laugh, a madwoman’s cackle. We just watch. She did say not to interrupt.
“First rule, children…” she breathes heavily. “Nobody’s up past eleven.”