The speaker recounts a harrowing tale of their life in a secretive mansion, where they were raised by a nun and other girls with severe hearing problems. They were forced to marry a man they didn't know, but managed to escape with the help of Kirsten, another girl from the mansion. They now live together and are in the process of opening their own foster home. The speaker expresses fear and suspicion that the nun, who they believe is part of a larger, more sinister organization, may still be plotting against them.
1. The speaker was a troubled child who had a rough childhood, spending their entire life in the foster care system. They bounced from house to house at least seven times a year.
2. The speaker was rude, mean, and had a habit of stealing things and skipping school. They had outbursts and nightmares that would wake them up.
3. The speaker was terrified of ending up in an orphanage and had been through every single foster home in their city by the age of 16.
4. The speaker was sent to a mansion in the middle of nowhere, which they initially thought was the town hall.
5. The mansion was filled with huge portraits on the wall with group photos of at least 20 kids all dressed up in old-timey clothes.
6. The speaker was given a new outfit that was a grey dress that reached all the way to the floor and buttoned up to their neck.
7. The speaker met the other people living in the mansion, which included about 23 girls, all in all. Most of them had severe hearing problems and some were completely mute.
8. The speaker made their first real friend, Kirsten, who was the second oldest. She taught the speaker sign language.
9. The speaker was counting down the days to their 18th birthday when they could move out.
10. The speaker was proposed to by a boy who came to work at the estate as a gardener. The boy was handsome and seemed very nice.
11. The speaker agreed to marry the boy and put on a big show.
12. The speaker pretended to be sick on the day of the wedding and drove off with the girl who helped them.
13. The police found the mansion empty and discovered a huge secret underneath the farm they worked on, which was a giant underground bunker.
14. The speaker and Kirsten still live together and are in the process of opening up their own foster home.
15. The speaker still has cheese puffs almost every day.