# Read the first page of Sunnyside Dormitory by Mae Stevens Read the opening of Sunnyside Dormitory by Mae Stevens free, no signup. Caught stealing a tomato, a runaway orphan is claimed by a government agent. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/sunnyside-dormitory-mae-stevens - Genre: Young adult - ISBN: 9798235208247 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9990000000066&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9798235208247 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9798235208247 ## The opening Remi stared down the barrel of a shotgun and tried to slow her breathing. Backed into a corner, she clutched at the hay bale behind her. The farmer, firmly planted between her and the sliding door, had her trapped in his barn. What had she been thinking, limiting herself to one exit? “Filthy little thief,” he snarled. The half-eaten tomato lay discarded on the floor between them. One tomato? Would he really shoot her over one measly tomato? Inch by inch, she crept forward along the wall of hay, trying to focus on the exit ahead rather than on the farmer. She needed to get closer to him before she could get past him. He wouldn’t shoot. He was bluffing. The farmer’s eyes narrowed and he stepped back to block her way again, his gun trained on her every move. “You’re not goin’ anywhere,” he snarled. “Ronda already called the cops. They’ll be here any second.” Remi’s throat tightened. She couldn’t go back. She wouldn’t go back. A car door slammed shut somewhere outside, jolting her into motion. She lunged around the farmer and made a break for freedom. “Hey!” he shouted. “Stop!” As she leapt through the door, an arm like a club caught her around the waist, knocking the wind out of her. The police officer wrenched her arms behind her back before she could even catch her breath. Cold metal tightened around her wrists as the handcuffs clicked shut. How could her few, short months of freedom end like this? The officer began to steer her towards his squad car--the car that would take her to another dormitory. She couldn’t go back. Decent tree cover beckoned just beyond the gravel driveway. If she broke free of his hold, maybe she could beat him to it and lose him among the thick trunks and dense undergrowth. She thrashed and jerked her arm, but his fingers were a vise around her bicep and the more she squirmed, the tighter he squeezed. “She’s one of them illegals, ain’t she?” the farmer asked, marching along beside them with the gun at his side. “Sneaking around, obviously ain’t got parents. None that signed for her anyways. She’s not even supposed to be here.” “We’ll take care of it,” the officer replied. “What about my stolen property? We pay enough taxes for them already. They can’t go stealing from us, too.” Of course he didn’t care about some stupid tomato. Her real crime, as always, was her existence. “You’ll have to take it up with the Population Agency.” All too soon, they reached the car. Remi put her entire body into one last heave, but it wasn’t enough. The officer pushed her into the back seat and the door slammed shut, sealing her inside like a trapped animal. It was over. She was captured. The farmer’s wife appeared around the corner of the barn, walking hand-in-hand with their children. Like all law-abiding citizens, they had only two--one for each adult. Remi glared at the children, both unappreciative of their mother’s touch, their full stomachs, their carefree lives. Had there been more? Had the awful farmer and his wife produced more children that they secretly dumped on a dormitory doorstep, not to be spared a second thought? The officer climbed into the driver’s seat and twisted around to face her. “So, you got papers?” he asked. “Who’s your legal guardian?” She stared silently at the floor. He must know she didn’t have any of those things. Why make her admit it? “Yeah,” he grunted, turning back around. “Figured.” The car rolled down the driveway, and the happy little family slipped out of sight. In the back seat, Remi remained motionless and silent, a sharp contrast to the turmoil raging inside her. Her eyes pricked and she pinched her arm to stave off tears. She had thrown away her freedom. All she could do now was hope her new dormitory wouldn’t be as bad as the last one. The drive lasted less than ten minutes. When they pulled into the police station, she clenched her hands together to keep them from shaking. Her captor resumed his unrelenting hold on her arm to lead her inside and through a door behind the front counter. The large room beyond was filled with desks and people. Her heart sank farther and farther with each step she forced herself to take. A man in a grey suit jumped to his feet when they entered. His full hair and youthful eyes suggested he wasn’t over thirty. He made a beeline straight for them, buttoning his suit jacket and adjusting his tie as he approached. “Get these cuffs off her,” he said. “I’ll take it from here.” After a moment’s hesitation, the officer released her arm. He removed her handcuffs with stiff movements and a skeptical expression before marching off without a word. “I’m Agent Stromos.” The man’s tone was warm and inviting, but overly so. “Let’s chat in here, shall we?” With one hand on her back and the other gesturing ahead, he guided her into an empty room. A chill spread up her back from where he touched her, but she stepped inside without a fight. She didn’t have much of a choice anymore. He closed the door behind them with a resolute thud. The bare, windowless walls were a sea of gray that exactly matched the floor and ceiling. Only a table and chairs broke the monotony, but those were grey as well. Sitting in one chair, he motioned to another across the table. The hard, metal seat leeched her warmth. “Now I hear you were found hiding in Ray’s barn,” he began. Remi didn’t look up from the table, but could feel him watching her. He let the silence thicken between them for a few moments before going on. “Listen, I don’t blame you. It’ll be a nasty night outside with that big storm rolling in. I’d probably have done the same thing.” She pressed her lips together. Did he really expect her to fall for this? It would take more than some fake empathy to make her talk. If she revealed anything, they might find out where she came from and send her back to her old dormitory. She was miles from there now. They would choose a closer one to lock her up in, as long as she kept her mouth shut. “You don’t need to be afraid. I only want to talk.” He seemed undeterred by the painstaking silence he let stretch on, despite how densely it filled the room. She could barely breathe under the weight of it. “What brings you to Howardsville?” he asked in his unbearably casual tone. This place--Howardsville, apparently--should have only been a short stop on the way farther south. With winter approaching, she needed a more survivable climate, but traveling with an actual destination in mind had proven difficult. Hopping trains and trucks was tricky enough without trying to find the right one going to the right place. But all that was over now. “May I ask your name? You can call me John.” She focused on the scratches and dents in the table’s edge. Maybe he would decide she was deaf or dumb and give up. “I’m here to help you.” She repressed a scoff, but not well enough. He shifted to the edge of his chair and leaned over the table. “You could be in some serious trouble here, young lady.” A wave of minty breath trailed after his words. Her back tensed and she fought the urge to lean away from him. He was switching tones fast, and keeping quiet under a barrage of threats would be much more difficult. “Ray could press charges. You could go to prison.” As far as she was concerned, dormitories were prisons. Worse, actually. Prisons locked away people who choose to commit crimes. Illegal children didn’t choose to be born. “It's in your best interest to cooperate. How old are you?” Remi couldn’t answer that one even if she wanted to. Dormitories didn’t keep the best records, and she had left behind what little information they did have about her the first time she escaped. She was probably around sixteen, but, with her youthful face, she’d be lucky if a dormitory released her in two years. Illegal children--or dormers as they called themselves--were supposed to be released once they turned eighteen. However, since this meant giving up the free labor of older teens, dormitories would often conveniently lose or alter their records. His gaze bored into her, but she kept silent. He tapped his fingers on the table. He smoothed down his tie. He scratched his cheek. Still, she said nothing. Finally, he stood up and left the room without a word. She let out a deep breath, but only moved to bring her hands into her lap and fidget with the hem of her shirt. It was at least twenty minutes before he returned, bringing with him the smell of soup. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “You must be hungry.” He set a steaming takeout container in the center of the table. Remi gaped at him. Apart from a few bites of the tomato, she hadn’t eaten in over a day. The aroma of chicken noodle soup was so rich she could practically taste it. Stomach pains she had been ignoring doubled in strength. Against her better judgment, she reached for the container, but Agent Stromos beat her to it, firmly planting a hand on the lid. She fell back in her seat. “All I ask is that you answer a few questions,” he said, a flicker of triumph in his eyes. Remi bit hard on her lip and crossed her arms. She couldn’t yield. She couldn’t go back to her old dormitory. Much worse awaited her there than a few missed meals. Escape attempts earned the harshest punishments. She didn’t want to find out what they would do to someone who actually succeeded. A knock at the door interrupted the strained silence. Agent Stromos sighed, strode around the table, and stepped outside. Once he was out of sight, Remi lunged for the soup and began guzzling it down. The heat scalded her tongue and throat and sent tears streaming down her cheeks, but she didn’t stop until the container was empty. After setting the empty container back on the table, she twisted around in her chair. If she stifled her panting, she could just make out the conversation taking place outside the room. “I can reach her,” Agent Stromos’s voice said. “It isn’t our problem,” a lower voice replied. “We need to find out where she came from and what--” “No, we don’t. The results are the same. I’ve already contacted Sunnyside. They’ll be here in five.” “Lieutenant, give me--” “Enough. Get back to work.” Remi jumped in her seat as a grey-haired man in a brown suit appeared in the doorway. The gnarled scar underneath his eye fit his demeanor so well he might have been born with it. “Don’t get comfortable,” he said. Without waiting for a response, he snapped the door shut. Remi slumped back into her chair. She tried not to waste her few, precious minutes alone dwelling on what came next, but that was nearly impossible. Every dormitory was different. They were all terrible, but each in their own special way. And the older she got, the worse they became. What new horrors awaited her now? Much too soon, the door flew open again and the lieutenant marched back in, accompanied by two men. “It’s no problem at all,” the first man said with a toothy smile that didn’t reach the hardness in his grey eyes. “We truly appreciate everything you do for us at Sunnyside. Besides, a proper headmaster is present for all pickups.” The second, much younger man sulked into the room after the headmaster. The sinister gleam in his eyes intensified when he spotted Remi. She broke into a cold sweat and leaned away without daring to lose sight of him. “This her?” he asked with a scowl. The lieutenant studied him for a moment before nodding once. “Drey here recently received a promotion from guardian to apprentice,” the headmaster said. “He’s a little excited to be assisting with his first pickup.” The headmaster shot Drey a look through his round, wire-rimmed glasses and the gleam in Drey’s eyes faded slightly. This did nothing to ease Remi’s concern. The lieutenant, however, chuckled and clapped him on the back. “Well, congrats, young man,” the lieutenant said. “I’ll let you two get on with it. Holler if you need anything.” Drey grunted at the lieutenant and turned back to Remi. He tightened handcuffs around her wrists and yanked her up by the arm, gripping much tighter than necessary. She tried not to wince or show any fear as he dragged her out of the room. “Gently,” the headmaster murmured under his breath to Drey, who gave no indication he had heard. The larger room outside had nearly emptied. Agent Stromos, one of its few remaining occupants, watched them leave from his desk with a frown. Then, he was gone and they were outside, approaching a windowless van. In the evening shadows, a soft glow cast from the street lights illuminated the van’s door. Below a rainbow and a smiling cartoon sun read the words “Sunnyside Dormitories”. Drey yanked the door open with his free hand. Inside, several metal seats were bolted to the floor, each adorned with leather straps. Pushing her into the van, he forced her into one before she could seat herself. He began fastening the straps, tightening each with all his strength. At the one across her chest, he pulled and pulled, squeezing her ribcage until she cried out. The headmaster, already in the passenger seat, glanced back at her through a metal grate. “It's very late,” he said as if to justify Drey’s exuberance. “We are working after hours to pick you up right now.” Remi clenched her jaw to keep quiet as Drey buckled the leg straps. The headmaster watched for a while before speaking up in a bored voice. “Alright, that’s enough.” Drey stopped, but, by the look in his eye, he could have continued for hours. The thick straps bit into her everywhere, cutting off blood flow to her arms and legs. She could barely breathe, let alone move. The engine started with a dull hum that shook the van. She tried to focus on the sensation of their forward motion and the occasional bumps and turns, but her lungs screamed for more air. She needed to move her arms, legs...anything. The more she fought her restraints, the more they rubbed at her skin and pressed into her muscles. Only her head remained free, and she thrust it side to side until her neck ached. Someone spoke from the front of the van, but she didn’t make out the words. The tightness of the straps only allowed for small, shallow breaths that left her hyperventilating until dizziness threatened to overcome her. She squeezed her eyes shut. After what might have been five minutes or five hours, the van stopped and the engine died. Drey reappeared in the back to robotically remove her bindings with a vacant expression. The second she could, she heaved a breath so deep it made her cough. Her extremities tingled from a lack of blood flow, but she had no time to wake them up before he yanked her out of the van. She barely found her footing in time. Darkness pressed in around them, and the only sound was the crunch of gravel under their feet. Had they taken her to an empty field rather than a dormitory? But this field had a tall chain link fence surrounding it, and when Drey led Remi around the van, a brick building loomed out of the darkness ahead of them. She struggled to keep his pace as they marched up to it, only stopping once they reached a metal door. The headmaster stepped up to it and held a laminated card up to the doorknob. Remi glanced up at the sky to catch a glimpse of the stars one last time, but the storm clouds blotted out even the moon. A raindrop landed on her cheek. Well, she thought bitterly, I guess I’m avoiding the storm. The keypad chimed and the headmaster swung the door open. The three stepped into a drab, grey room with cameras staring down at them. “Put her in an isolation cell until she can be dealt with tomorrow,” the headmaster said. “Once you hand the key over to Vincent, you are dismissed for the night.” Drey turned on his heel, still pulling Remi along by the arm. She trotted to keep up with him through a windowless hallway. At the end, he unlocked another metal door with a keycard. The ill-lit hallway beyond had the same grey tile flooring, but the cement walls were painted yellow and lined with countless doors. They turned down another indistinguishable hallway and then another. She was already disoriented, despite her best efforts. How was she going to escape from a building she could barely navigate? The fourth yellow hallway ended in another set of metal doors, which Drey pushed open to reveal a shadowy staircase. Remi strained her eyes and stepped lightly as they descended into the darkness. Just before reaching the bottom, he jerked her forward and she tumbled down the last several steps. Her knees and shins collided with stair edges before she slammed onto the concrete floor below. With her hands cuffed in front of her, she braced herself well enough, but her elbows took a hard blow. “Get up,” he growled, yanking her to her feet. She bit back a retort and walked evenly, ignoring the throbbing in her shins. Thankfully, the sparse light bulbs hid her face in darkness. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain. As they continued on, only the sound of their footsteps echoed out of the shadows ahead. Drey’s thick body odor choked out what little clean air remained in the musty hallway. She turned her face away from him and watched the doors pass by. They were each adorned with large brass locks under the handles and a slot near the bottom--the perfect size to slide food trays through. No human contact necessary. Drey came to an abrupt halt, swinging Remi around by her arm so she crashed into the wall. He wrenched open door number nineteen with a grinding screech of metal on metal. The tiny room beyond was painted black from floor to ceiling and absorbed what little light trickled in. He pushed her inside. The door slammed shut, the lock clicked, and Drey’s footsteps stomped out of earshot. She lay down on the cold, hard floor, tossing and turning to get comfortable with her hands still bound. Her knees, shins, and elbows throbbed. The day’s events played over and over in her mind like a nightmare she couldn’t escape. She tried to focus on her full stomach and the fact that she was finally alone again. Anything to distract herself from the freedom she had lost and what lay ahead. A drip echoed somewhere in the distance, followed by another and another until a steady rhythm developed. Remi closed her eyes and smiled. If the storm could find a way in, she could find a way out. ## Books with a similar feel - [Heir by Sabaa Tahir](https://uncovered.ink/read/heir-sabaa-tahir.md) - [Cydonia by Stewart Thomson](https://uncovered.ink/read/cydonia-stewart-thomson.md) - [Belladonna by Adalyn Grace](https://uncovered.ink/read/belladonna-adalyn-grace.md) - [My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins](https://uncovered.ink/read/my-true-love-gave-to-me-stephanie-perkins.md) - [Color outside the Lines by Sangu Mandanna](https://uncovered.ink/read/color-outside-the-lines-sangu-mandanna.md) - [The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-sun-is-also-a-star-nicola-yoon.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.