My new home isn't as nice as my last. All the Orange people look sad. Maybe they also made their Momma's scream. My new friends push me past the little Bar Rooms. It smells bad. Sissy hated bad smells — especially the Red Stuff. My new friends are taking me to a room. Maybe it won't smell there. Knock knock, I giggle. That's how Momma used to come into my little Bar Room.

  There's another new friend there. He's taller than my other new friends. I look up at him; his arms are big.

  "Sit." I don't know why my new friends don't listen. Instead, they push me into a chair. "Name?"

  "Eli Hart." He nods, and my new friends leave.

  "I'm The Warden. You will address me as 'sir' at all times, understood?"

  I nod. He slaps me. Now my cheek hurts. "I said address me as 'sir'."

  "Yes, sir," I say. I think my cheek will turn red now.

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  "I have a few rules. Disobey any and you will be punished. Rule one: address me as 'sir' at all times. Rule two: obey me at all times. Rule three: only speak when spoken to. Rule four: don't look me in the eye. And rule five: never say no to the Warden. Do you understand, little psycho?"

  I wonder why I can't look in his eyes. Maybe they don't look nice. The floor isn't too bad. There's red there too. "Yes, sir."

  Sir touches my red cheek. He has big hands and black shoes. Sir's fingers trace my metal necklace. I feel his hot air at my ear. Sir whispers, "The Warden likes to play with good boys and punish bad ones. You're not a bad boy, right?"

  "Momma said I was bad. Sissy said I was bad. The man with the white wig said I was bad."

  "And are you?" Sir's touching my cheek again.

  "I must be, sir." His hot air goes away.

  My new friends walk in again. They lift me up. I like Sir's shoes.

  "Remember my rules, and I'll see if you really are bad." Sir sits back behind his desk. I liked his hot air. My new friends take me out of Sir's room and take me to a little Bar Room. This looks more like my old one. They don't take my necklace or bracelets off. There are other Orange Men in here. My new friends put me on a bunk bed — the bottom one — and attach my necklace and bracelet chain to my new bunk bed. They leave. I don't say goodbye.