Sister Rose clapped her hands together, then rested her chin on her fingertips, beaming at us like children on the first day of school. “You’ll see the first of the challenges tonight. You’ll enjoy it if you allow yourself to.” Her voice was American, her face as cheery and apple-pie round as a Sunday school teacher’s.
Sister Dawn nodded at Sister Rose. “That’s right. Put your heart into the challenges, and you’ll find yourself zipping through them.” She had the dark-skinned features of an Indian ancestry, her accent a blend of English and Indian, her eyes brown and comforting. “Brother Vito is about to give you all the wristbands you’ll need for the challenges. The display on the wristbands will flash with a number when your challenge is due to begin. The number will tell you which team you’re in.”
Brother Vito stepped forward with the box and began clipping chunky plastic wristbands onto our arms.
“How are you doing so far, Evie?” Brother Vito asked me quietly, fitting a wristband to my arm.
A gulp of air stretched my lungs. “It’s an adventure.”
“Good, good,” he said. “That’s exactly what it is. That’s how I want you to see it. Right to the end. I trust that you can get there.”
Internally, I felt like a Girl Scout being decorated with a coveted badge. I caught Poppy side-eyeing me with a slightly envious glance.
“At midnight,” Sister Dawn continued to the group, “you’ll hear the starting bells. They are church bells, and they are loud. I assure you that they will wake you. Together with the other members of your team, you will assemble here in the garden. From there you’ll be escorted to your challenge room. The teams are staggered so that each team gets their allotted time for the challenge.” She turned to write on a large chalkboard: Challenge One tonight.
“At midnight? Why in the middle of the night?” spluttered a thin, bent-shouldered man from another table. “Seems a bit unnecessary. I’m a deep sleeper, and I don’t like being woken.”
“Shut it, Harrington,” called Cormack from our table. “Maybe you want to think to yourself how you got here in the first place. You know that like all of us here, you told yourself you can quit your vice a thousand times over. But you never could do it, could you? Maybe if you beat this, you’ll believe you can do it.”
“That’s the hope.” Sister Dawn nodded. “You answered that perfectly, Cormack.”
A plump, flabby jowled-man who reminded me of an English bulldog stretched his feet out into the sun. “My name is Eugene Bublik. I am an alcoholic. The amenities here are basic but sufficient. What I would like to know is the menu. I cannot do these challenges if I am not well fed. I don’t like to be hungry.” His accent was deep and heavy. I couldn’t place it, exactly, but it was Eastern European.
Harrington turned to face him, giving him a disparaging look. “This isn’t an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, bud.”
“Or a five-star hotel,” called Cormack.
Everyone laughed.
“The meals will be more than sufficient, Eugene,” said Sister Dawn. “I hope that answers your question.”
A woman a couple of tables down from us stood. She was tall and severe looking, her dyed-black hair scraped back from her thin face, showing dishwater-blonde roots. Amateur tattoos ran down one side of her neck. “What if the team we’re in can’t complete a challenge due to the actions of one person? Does the whole team get punished?”
“There is no punishment here, Ruth,” Sister Dawn assured her. “We take video recordings of the challenges and make determinations on the efforts of each individual.”
“I really need this,” stated Ruth. “I’m sorry for anyone who gets put in my team, but if you don’t put in a hundred percent, you might see me bust out my mean side.” She glanced around at everyone for effect.
Brother Vito gave a good-natured laugh, clipping a wristband onto Poppy’s arm. “Ruth, you won’t need to get mean. I’m sure they’ll all be pulling their weight.”
“Ruth? More like Ruthless,” muttered Richard under his breath. “She looks violent. I don’t want to get in her team.”
“Me either. She’s missing a tooth, too—she probably fights people in alleyways. Toothless Ruthless.” Poppy pulled her mouth down severely at Richard then lifted her eyes to Brother Vito, shooting him a smile that almost looked shy.
Brother Vito straightened, then dug his hands into the loose pockets of his clothing. “Look, everyone, don’t worry so much. We’re strict, but we’re fair. Stay calm during the challenges and do your best. That’s all you need to do. Any other questions?”