The Hollows was

of a plain car, gua

grew denser, the houses farther apart, until

d it lay a collection of rundown shacks and a larger,

a few chimneys, th

a tangled grey beard emerged from the

elope – the directive, altered by

ing his lips. He looked Rory up and do

ther one to break," he said, his vo

left with

air was heavy with the smell of woodsm

der said, grabbing her arm. His grip was l

cks. It was small, dark, and filthy.

d. "You' ll work from sunup to sun

s were a blur

ing out animal pens. Her hands, on

soup, stale bread. Hunger b

eaten-down eyes, watched her with a mixture of suspic

roken, just in

to enjoy her suffering, her fumbling attempt

collapsed from exhaust

d, prodding her with his boot. "Your family w

her to rep

noth

ill

serve

e wasn' t submissive enough,

ts were

old seeping through the thin w

nt to protect. It was gone. Her family' s

ow, when she n

at first, then with

ame. No

mantling of Aurora