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    Boot Camp
    Boot Camp
    Boot Camp
    Ebook223 pages3 hours

    Boot Camp

    By Todd Strasser

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In the middle of the night Garrett is taken from his home to Harmony Lake, a boot camp for troubled teens. Maybe some kids deserve to be sent there, but Garrett knows he doesn't. Subjected to brutal physical and psychological abuse, he tries to fight back, but the battle is futile. He won't be allowed to leave until he's admitted his "mistakes" and conformed to Harmony Lake's standards of behavior. And there's no way to fake it. Beaten, humiliated, and stripped of his pride, Garrett's spirit is slowly ebbing away. Then he hears whispers of an escape plot. It's incredibly risky -- if he's caught, the consequences will be unthinkable -- but it may be his only way out.

    In this tense, riveting novel, award-winning YA author Todd Strasser reveals what really goes on in highly secretive -- and notoriously dangerous -- boot camps, a stealth prison system where any teenager under the age of eighteen can be imprisoned at his parents' whim.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
    Release dateDec 14, 2010
    ISBN9781442428881
    Boot Camp
    Author

    Todd Strasser

    Todd Strasser, author of Give a Boy a Gun, Boot Camp, If I Grow Up, and the Help, I’m Trapped . . . series, has written wildly popular middle-grade and teen books of all genres. When he's not speaking at schools and conferences, he makes his home in a suburb of New York City. Todd is active in a number of sports but enjoys surfing most of all. Visit him online at www.toddstrasser.com.

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    Reviews for Boot Camp

    4/5

    216 ratings38 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I found this book relatable for a YA audience. There were elements that I think were very true (1) teenagers think they know everything, (2) teenagers want autonomy, (3) teenagers do not always know what is best, and (4) authority can overstep. While I do hope that no teen who ever reads this book is on the path towards a Boot Camp, that certainly does not mean that it would never happen. It is a good book to remind us all that resilience can be matched, and it may be matched in undesirable ways.
    • 4/5
      Garrett's parents don't approve of his behavior. 15-years-old, he doesn't listen, and is having a relationship with a former teacher. They arrange for him to be kidnapped and taken to Lake Harmony, a boot camp for delinquent and troubled teens where he is to be reprogrammed, no matter what it takes.
    • 5/5
      Book is Super intresting Glad I am so glad I read this
    • 3/5
      Quite an exciting read...had moments of weak writing but the author's colorful description of the main character's fellow students alone are worth the read!
    • 2/5
      I couldn't finish this. I have a difficult dealing with stories where people abuse others.... especially the mistreatment of children... doesn't matter how old the kids are, to render abuse because of power makes me ill.
    • 3/5
      At first I found this book unbelievable...what disciplinary program actually believes cutting kids down and abusing them builds them into better people? But the author cites his research and sources so apparently this is really happening across the country. The story finally picked up for me when Garrett, Pauly and Sarah make their escape.
    • 5/5
      Fifteen year old Garrett is kidnapped and taken to a teen boot camp when his parents decide they can't deal with his misbehavior anymore. Despite being at the top of his class, Garrett has disappointed them too much by dating his teacher, and not listening to their advice. Lake Harmony Boot Camp is portrayed as a wonderful place where teens will learn to respect their parents and will only be returned to them when they have achieved model behavior. Instead, it's really a prison where teens are regularly beaten, and starved, while also being physically and emotionally destroyed. Despite their best efforts, Garrett is determined to beat the Harmony system. Unfortunately, Lake Harmony is known for always winning. The chilling account of Garrett's stay at Lake Harmony is followed by information about real life boot camps just like it which are described in the Afterword and Reference List. Sadly, almost 10,000 teens are incarcerated in these types of behavioral boot camps throughout the U.S. and other countries. Strasser tells of the horrors they endure in "Boot Camp."
    • 4/5
      This Young Adult fiction novel is on the Great Books for Children and Teens 2007 reading list. I'm not sure I would have picked it up if it hadn't been assigned to me to read, but I am happy I did!

      'Boot Camp' has absolutely nothing to do with the Army. This story is far more sinister. The book opens with Garrett, a 15-year old boy, being "transported" to Lake Harmony. He's not sure what is going on, but it is soon revealed that his parents have sent him to this camp to "cure" him of his problems.

      I don't want to give too much away, but I will tell you this book is not for the weak of heart. Author Todd Strasser cites his sources in the back of the book, explaining that the conditions and abuse Garrett endures at Lake Harmony are not just from his imagination; there are camps like this all over the United States. Children are sent away from their homes and force to comply with "rules" meant to turn them into the child their parents want.


      Despite its dark story, this is a page turner. The chapters are just short enough that you convince yourself that you could read just one more. And then that chapter ends in a bit of a cliff hanger and you have to keep going! A disturbing page turner!

      Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com
    • 4/5
      Shocking fictional take at boot camps where teens are sent by their parents to fix their behavior problems. Riveted by the story of Garrett, a 15 year-old natural genius, as he is forced to live by the rules and show atonement for his past ways or be beaten or tortured. Will he be able to convince his parents to let him come home, conform to the camp, or escape? Recommended for fans of stories with a strong male protagonist like The Maze Runner Trilogy.
    • 4/5
      It blows my mind that this fiction is based on reality; call me naive, but I never knew that parents could have their children sent to "boot" camps to correct their behavior. That said, Strasser does a great job of relating the story of Garrett, son of upwardly mobile parents who can't get him to do what they want him to do (stop dating his former teacher) so pay someone else to do it for them. The story starts out slowly, and in grueling fashion, with the story of Garrett's abduction and introduction to Lake Harmony, which is run by sadistic adults with the help of willing teen prisoners. It gets really interesting when Garrett and two others decide to escape. The ending was believable, but not predictable. Kids who like gritty adventure stories based in reality will enjoy this one.
    • 4/5
      Wow. This book really, really, makes you think.Summary:Garrett is sent to a private boot camp by his parents. Why? Well, lets just say that he was kind of dating his teacher. But this camp is soo not what it says to be. Yes, they guarantee a changed, better behaved, obedient child, but to what lengths are they going to get them? Ridicule, abuse, they practically kill people there. Brainwash them. Oh, and the good news? Only one person has died in this camp! As Garrett, Pauly, and Sarah plan to escape, they begin to wonder just how impossible this boot camp should be.Comments:This book. Was. Amazing. Totally out of my love-fantasy genre, but amazing. I mean, I'd find myself just staring at the book, thinking how crazy and illegal and WRONG this should be. But it's not? This actually happens? That's insanity! Do parents not know what happens there? And the ending...oh the ending...I literally just sat there wide-eyed with shock at those last four words. This is such a powerful book(and not at all only-boy), I'd recommend it to anyone who has the gut to read it.
    • 4/5
      I thought this book was very interesting. At first the book is boring and it takes a wile to get into. Todd Strasser repeats things a lot like garrett gets put into T.I a lot and lots of people get in trouble. The middle and the end of the book are very interesting and entertaining. You never want to put the book down.
    • 4/5
      Very intense and fast-paced book; I was hooked. The plot-line was suspenseful and kept my attention. Nothing seemed too far-fetched, especially after reading that their really are teen boot camps like this around the world. How sad. The only thing I'm not sure I liked was the ending. I wanted to know more about the teacher and if he really believed in the end that he deserved everything. At least it wasn't a over-the-top happy ending like we see so often--especially movies--and I liked that Strasser did that.
    • 4/5
      This book has a very powerful. its about a young boy that is sent to a camp(facility) that helps with troubled kids. the boy has to learn the hard way. he doesnt know why he was there in the first place. I recommend this book to anyone, mainly student. it is an eye opener to some peopole. the most memorable part is when one of the kids he met after a couple of years of being there decided to make a run for it. my least favorite part was when the boy gets sent to the t.i and get steped on by the level fours.i whould read more novels by this author. what i like most about the authors style of writing is that he writes what the character is thinking... almost like thinking out loud. my favorite character would be the boy( main character). i think the overall theme for this book would be think before you act.
    • 4/5
      I thought it was an overall good book. The beggining was kind of slow with him getting in the prision camp. The end of the book was really intersting. Garret was my favorite becasue he saved the two sheriffs and that was really brave and couragous. I would recommend this book to people that have had an experience like this or a adventurous person
    • 5/5
      it was good, i liked it. the end was good where rachel went to Garret's parents and told them what was going on at the camp. the book was very adventurous. The most memorable part, in my opinion, was where garret went and saved rachel and her partner from the ship. it was sad how garret got beat very badly when he went back. i recommend this book to other people because i personally enjoyed it. i would read it again.
    • 4/5
      very good book the funny thing is that i got this friend who was in one like it but ya very good book wreid ending
    • 4/5
      A great book with lots of suspense and thrill. Slow start but picks up quick and never slows down.
    • 2/5
      The main story line is good, but the format could be better. The fact that the main character is being penalized for dating some one 8 years older than him is kind of tacky
    • 5/5
      I think this is a powerful book. It describes a young boy's experience at a "tough love" facility that he has been sent to by his parents. It is an eye opener and the ending is a surprise. I recommend this to many of my students at school
    • 4/5
      Boot Camp is about a boy named Garrett. Garrett's parents think he is unruly and out of control because he is dating a woman eight years older than him. For this reason, they hire two people to kidnap, or "transport", Garrett to Lake Harmony. Lake Harmony is a facility where rich parents send their disobedient children to be "corrected". At Lake Harmony Garrett will be beaten and abused until he is brainwashed into believing its for his own good, unless he can find a way to escape. I really liked this book. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down
    • 4/5
      This book stuck with me for awhile after reading, thinking about how the main character was fundamentally changed by his experience in the disciplinary boot camp his parents enrolled him in after deeming his behavior disrespectful and inappropriate. Garrett certainly became a sympathetic character, suffering at the hands of the adults in charge and the goons within the camper population while trying to maintain his identity and sense of self. The afterward talks about the types of boot camp programs currently operating in the United States, are those places really like what is depicted in this book, I wonder?
    • 5/5
      This is one of the best book I have read in months. The Main character Garret was really easy to sympathise with because he didn't even really deserve to be in there. Not that anyone does.Todd Strasser once again made a very shocking and scary book that isn't even a thriller.
    • 3/5
      The story starts with Garrett in handcuffs, being driven to Lake Harmony, a prison for troubled kids whose parents don't know what else to do. Garrett is there because he fell in love with a teacher and refused to end the relationship. His experiences are brutal, one episode after another.I would recommend this to reluctant readers. I rushed to finish this because it was just too grim for me, and I was glad it was fiction. However, the afterword made me think again, citing that 4,000-10,000 kids may be living this story.
    • 3/5
      I don't think I'm the target audience for this book, mainly because I could sympathize to a certain extent with Garrett's parents. The basic premise of the story is that a 15 year old boy is sent to boot camp by his parents because he's dating his 23 year old math teacher, skipping school (although he's so smart that he doesn't "NEED" to go every day like the other kids - ugh), stealing money from his parents (which is "justified" because his parents cut off his allowance to try and get him to break up with the teacher), and occasionally smoking pot. Where to start? I have lived with a self-destructive, self-centered, lying, stealing, pot smoking teen-ager. If I had had the money, boot camp would have been seriously considered. I think all the behaviors evidenced by Garrett are awful. The author claims that Garrett and his teacher are "in love" and they can't keep away from each other. Seriously? People throughout the centuries have been attracted to those they can't have. In fact, the attraction between people who can't be together is sometimes the only thing that makes a person want the other, the allure of wanting what you can't have. Most of the time once you get it, the reality never lives up to your expectations. So to defend a relationship between a 15 year old and a 23 year old teacher who has authority over him with the claim that they're "in love" just doesn't work for me. All I can think of is Romeo and Juliet which was the Shakespeare play that I absolutely hated. Right up there with the movie DEAD POET'S SOCIETY. I can't imagine "dating" a person who A) can't drink, B) can't drive, and C) can't even legally get into an R rated movie. The author attempts to justify all of this by making Garrett 6'4" and 230 lbs. so he doesn't look like an adolescent, he looks like an adult. BUT HE ISN'T ONE. He's still a child. Even someone that age who is super smart and super mature, is still a child. That aspect of the book just really bothered me and didn't work at all as justification or explanation for Garrett's behavior.The one aspect of Garrett's parents that I don't identify with is that the mother is more interested in her job than her son and when they discover the illict relationship between their son and his teacher they do get her fired, but they don't go to the police because of fear of bad publicity. After the call to the school, my next call would be to the police and to a lawyer. Restraining orders would be filed. Anyone taking advantage of my son would suffer the wrath of the momma-bear! Of course, I'm naturally maternal and the mother in this book is not.With all that said, the sadism of the counselors at the camp was horrifying. An in this instance, the author is right. It is like being sent to prison and there is nothing a teen can do about it because they are without any legal recourse. But I've read a book written by a mother and daughter about boot camp and how it really did help the girl, Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's journey through Hell and Back by Claire and Mia Fontaine. I think that in certain cases, not the abuse, but the structure and objective relationship (meaning not a parent/child relationship - because let's face it, my 4 yo acts much better for his teacher than he does for me!) can really help a self-destructive child. Granted my child has survived and become an adult. But her road has been long, pitted with bad decisions and the need to overcome them. Watching her suffer through trying to make reparations for the things she has done in the past and to overcome people's low expectations of her, all the negative repurcussions she's had to suffer...... To have been able to allow her to not have to live through that would have been worth a great deal to me.I am giving this book a 2 1/2 star rating because it was an easy read (language-wise), the plot flowed easily, the characters were well-developed, but the ending seemed to come suddenly as if the author had unexpectedly tired of writing the book. And of course, I did have some trouble with elements of the plot and a major lack of sympathy for the protagonist.
    • 5/5
      Wow. I could not put this book down. I see many troubled teens, but very few deserve the kind of treatment they would receive at a boot camp like Harmony Lake.Garrett's parents have him taken to Harmony Lake, a militaristic boot camp that specialized in turning troubled teens into obedient, polite, and productive members of society.Garrett quickly learns that there is no way to fake obedience and he refuses to be brainwashed. After enduring humiliation and torture, not to mention really bad food, Garrett realizes that his parents will not change their minds and rescue him. He will be trapped at harmony Lake until he is 18. Two other inmates talk Garrett into a daring escape that could cost all of their lives.The most frightening thing about the story is that boot camps like Harmony Lake do exist and a child who is sent to one has no hope of rescue or escape. Scary.Like Strasser's Give a Boy a Gun (about school violence), this is a powerful novel that you won't be able to stop thinking about.
    • 4/5
      In the middle of the night Garett is taken to Lake Harmony, acenter for troubled teens. Garett knows that he does not deserve to be there. The center uses brutal physical abuse to discipline the teens. Garett meets two teens who are planning an escape. He goes with it but in the end Garett sacrifices his life for his newfound friends. Garett is sent back to the center. Months after the escape Garett is surprised to see his parents ther to pick him up. The center gets in trouble for physically abusing the teens. The center is closed down. Really good book....read it!!!!!
    • 5/5
      This intense book sheds light on the world of teenage boot camps. Garrett Durrell is highly intelligent, so much so that he takes his life into his own hands at the age of 15. His lawyer father and executive mother just want him to toe the line and not give them any problems that will take them away from their jobs. Instead Garrett has an affair with his 24-year-old teacher, smokes weed, steals money, and skips school. While all this might sound like Garrett deserves boot camp, he really does not as his choices are informed and in context, are not necessarily the wrong ones. "Boot Camp" is a chilling account of what happens inside these facilities which parents pay thousands of dollars to in order for their children to get "fixed." Garrett's intelligence serves him well here as he and two others attempt escape. Disturbing and unnerving, "Boot Camp" will keep you riveted.
    • 4/5
      When 15 year old Garrett finds himself falling in love with his math teacher, he just can't help himself. No matter what his parents say or do he continues the relationship. That is, until his parents take drastic steps to stop it. They have him kidnapped and sent to Boot Camp. Garrett is thrust into a totally foreign reality that is brutal and cruel. If he can only hold out until his parents reconsider.... Soon he realizes just what that will take and stumbles upon two very strange teens planning an escape. Should he go? Should he wait it out? Can he live that long?
    • 2/5
      It was a decent book but nothing out of the ordinary. The characters were mostly stereotypical and boring and the ending was rushed but quite clever. it kept me readin but don't read it expecting something fantastic.

    Book preview

    Boot Camp - Todd Strasser

    ONE

    Your parents sent you to Lake Harmony because they love you.

    Excuse me. My hands are numb.

    So? replies the man driving the car. His name is Harry.

    Maybe you could loosen the handcuffs? I ask.

    Sorry blue blood.

    If you’re sorry, then why don’t you help me?

    No can do. Harry wears a cowboy hat and speaks with a western accent. From my seat in the back of the dark car I can only see the silhouette of his shoulders and thick neck beneath the wide-brimmed hat. My hands, locked behind me for the past two hours, have gone numb. I feel nothing but tingling from my wrists down.

    Would you at least tell me where you’re taking me? I ask.

    Harry doesn’t answer. The car bounces and lurches through the dark. Except for the short stretch of dusty, reddish dirt road illuminated by the headlights, it is as black as blindness outside. Rocks kicked up by the tires clank against the car’s underside. The air-conditioning murmurs. Now and then sudsy spray splashes against the windshield, and the wipers wash away dust and splattered bug carcasses.

    With my hands joined by the handcuffs in the small of my back, there is no way to get comfortable, no way to relieve the pressure that has cut off the circulation.

    When my parents hired you, did they know that physical abuse was part of the deal? I ask.

    From the movement of his head, I sense that Harry is looking at me in the rearview mirror, but his eyes are hidden in the shadow from the rim of his hat. That was some spread we picked you up from, blue blood. What’s your father’s business that he can afford a place like that?

    Harry’s been calling me blue blood ever since he and the woman riding shotgun took me against my will from my parents’ house, drove me to the airport, and flew me to upstate New York.

    You really want to know what my father does? How about loosening these handcuffs and I’ll tell you.

    Nice try, partner. Harry chuckles. The woman sitting beside him turns to look over the seat at me. Her name is Rebecca, and she is younger than Harry. In the eight hours since they grabbed me, I’ve learned that Rebecca is new to the business of kidnapping for hire (Harry prefers you call him a transporter). She has a pretty face and streaked blond hair with dark roots. But there is a hardness around her eyes and mouth that makes me think of someone older.

    Can you feel anything at all? she asks.

    No. I’m worried I’ll have permanent nerve damage or something.

    In the dark car, she turns to Harry. Couldn’t you loosen them just a little?

    Fat chance, Harry chuckles. Come on, sugarplum, you’ve been there. You know how it works. First rule is, don’t believe a word these kids say. You loosen those cuffs, next he’ll say he needs to relieve himself by the side of the road. Now how’s he gonna do that with his hands cuffed behind him, right? So he swears on his mother’s grave if you undo them he won’t run. Next thing you know, you’re chasing him through the woods cussing yourself for being such a fool.

    Once again Rebecca glances over the seat at me. Even in the shadows I can sense her uncertainty.

    What does he mean, ‘you’ve been there’? I ask.

    I’ve been where you’re going, she answers.

    Why? I ask.

    Before Rebecca can answer, Harry snaps, That’s none of your business, blue blood. I’ve heard enough out of you. Now shut it.

    One last thing, I tell him. I really do have to go. You’ve been with me for the last eight hours, so you know I’m telling the truth. And I give you my word that I won’t run.

    "Ha! Now that is what we call manipulation, Harry says with just a hint of annoyance. See how the moment he acts agreeable it makes you feel sympathetic toward him? Like he can’t be such a bad kid, right? Giving you his word and all. Well, sugarplum, that’s the first step toward him trying to get you on his side."

    Rebecca gives him an astonished look, as if that is precisely what she’s feeling.

    Never forget, these kids have had years of experience lying, manipulating, doing whatever it takes to get what they want, Harry counsels her. That’s why their parents hired us. That’s why they’re paying four grand a month to send him where he’s going.

    Rebecca swivels her head and faces stiffly forward. I wonder if she feels angry or humiliated now that Harry has demonstrated how easy it is to fall under the spell of my evil ways.

    In silence we bump down the narrow dirt road. I yawn and wish I could stretch. It was after midnight when we landed at the airport in Utica. Now it must be close to three A.M.

    How much longer? I ask.

    Neither Harry nor Rebecca answers. Rocks bang against the undercarriage of the car. The potholes are getting bigger, and we toss and heave like a boat on rough seas.

    So I guess when I said I really did have to go to the bathroom, you didn’t believe me.

    My words are met with silence.

    Or maybe you’ll say, ‘Go right ahead, it’s not your car, why should you care?’

    Harry reaches up and adjusts the rearview mirror. This time our eyes meet. I told you to shut it, blue blood. His voice drops ominously with the implicit threat or else. After a few more minutes he veers onto another dirt road. In the distance, through the dusty windshield, I can see dim lights, which gradually grow brighter. We stop before a tall chain-link fence topped with loops of razor wire. A man steps out of a small white booth and shines a flashlight into the car. Rebecca shields her eyes from the glare. I have to turn my face. The man seems to recognize Harry. He unlocks the gate and we drive through, past a dark basketball court and a bare flagpole, and pull into a gravel parking lot.

    Here we are. Harry jumps out of the car with unexpected energy after the long ride. He comes around to my door and pulls me out with a firm grip. After sitting in that awkward position for so long, my legs and back are stiff, and I straighten up unsteadily. But I also feel a brief wave of relief, as standing temporarily takes the excruciating pressure off my bladder, which has felt near bursting for at least half an hour. I shake out my legs and glance around.

    Trust me, blue blood, don’t be thinking about running, Harry warns. Even if you got through the fence, there’s nothing but forest out there. You’re so far away from civilization, you’ll starve before you see another human being.

    The air is cool and smells like pine. The chatter of crickets is almost as loud as traffic on a city street. In the dark I can make out four or five buildings, none more than two stories tall.

    Then the crickets go silent.

    And I hear screaming.

    TWO

    You must accept the fact that you deserved to be sent to Lake Harmony.

    I’m allowed to use the bathroom. Then I’m put in a small, windowless room with a military-style, metalframed bed. Two stern-looking men wearing matching black polo shirts and khaki slacks sit in chairs by the door. One is tall with dark skin, a muscular build, and an athlete’s natural grace. The other is short, bulky, and troll-like, with dark stubble around his jaw and a square head that disappears into his shoulders with almost no sign of a neck. Together they remind me of the seated stone giants who guard the tomb of Ramses.

    You guys here to make sure I don’t escape? I ask as I sit down on the bare mattress.

    Stand up and shut up, the troll orders.

    I’m tired—it must be four A.M. by now—and would prefer to lie down and sleep, but something tells me to obey, so I stand. The men in the chairs watch me. The tall one yawns. This must be boring as hell for them. It sure is for me.

    How long do I have to stand here? I ask after a while.

    Shut up, the troll grunts. Even his tone sounds bored. There’s no vehemence in the words.

    So I stand, and stand, and stand. An hour passes, then another. I shift my weight from one foot to the other, arch my back, and wonder, How much longer is this going to last?

    Sitting in the chair, the tall, dark-skinned one starts to close his eyes. His head begins to droop. The troll notices and nudges him with his elbow. The tall one jerks his head up with a start, then yawns.

    Outside, a bird chirps, and even in this windowless room I sense that the sky has gone from black to gray. I yawn and stretch and more than anything want to lie down and sleep, but both men keep a steady eye on me, and I know what the answer will be if I ask.

    How much longer? While I don’t know the answer to that particular question, I have a feeling I do know the answer to another: Why am I here? Because my parents are trying to scare me into behaving. I’ll admit that this time I’m impressed by the lengths to which they’ve gone. Arranging for me to be taken against my will is pretty extreme. Back in the city Sabrina will be waking up soon. She’ll wait for me to call. But that call won’t come, and she won’t know why, and she won’t be able to find out unless she calls my parents, who have consistently refused to meet or speak to her. It’s hard to imagine they will now.

    From outside come the sounds of early-morning stirring. The slam of a car door. Footsteps in the hallway. The door opens. A thin man with slicked-back black hair and a thin black mustache enters carrying a brown paper shopping bag. He’s wearing a white polo shirt and khaki slacks, and he stares at me with puffy, reddened eyes. His nose twitches every time he sniffs.

    Strip, he orders.

    The word is so unexpected that I assume I heard him incorrectly. Sorry?

    You heard me, he barks.

    Yes, I heard him, but… The men in the chairs sit up, more alert.

    Who are you? I ask.

    The thin man narrows his swollen eyes. That’s the last time you will speak unless spoken to. You will remain silent and do what you’re told when you’re told. He checks his watch. You have exactly twenty seconds to get out of those clothes, or you’ll stand here until this time tomorrow when we’ll try again.

    I want to tell him to go to hell, but I have a feeling that’s exactly what he expects. I may not know where I am, but I do know these three men have the advantage. This may be new to me, but it isn’t to them. They’ve been through this a hundred, maybe even a thousand, times before.

    I kick off my shoes, then start to unbutton my shirt. The thin man glances at his watch impatiently, but whether from fatigue or disbelief or anger I can’t get my fingers to work more quickly.

    Faster! the thin man barks.

    Every fiber in my body yearns to refuse. But doing so will only delay what I really need to accomplish, which is to get out of here and back to Sabrina. So I finish unbuttoning my shirt and yank it off, then open my belt buckle and start to pull down my pants. The men in the chairs glance at each other and the tall one raises his eyebrow, as if they’re surprised I’ve cooperated so quickly.

    Meanwhile the thin man sniffs and consults his watch. I push my pants down over my ankles and step out of them. The thin man’s eyes dart at my feet, then back to his watch, so I quickly strip off my socks. Now I’m only in my boxers.

    He nods. Those too.

    Anger boils up inside me and I want to shout, Why? Who the hell do you think you are? But I already know the answer. I’ve read about places like this, and I’ve seen the TV specials. I had hours in the airport and on the plane and in the car to figure it out. I’m in a boot camp, and its purpose is to break me down and train me, like a cowboy breaks a bronco or a dog is taught in obedience school.

    The thin man glances at his watch again. See you tomorrow. He turns toward the door.

    Wait. I push the boxer shorts down, then step out of them.

    The thin man stops. I’m standing naked and defenseless, and these three men are staring at me. It’s not cold in the room, but shivers race over my skin like chilling winds.

    Turn around and bend over.

    Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse …

    The troll smiles. He’s enjoying this. Meanwhile, my legs won’t move.

    You want to spend the next twenty-four hours standing in that spot? the thin man asks.

    I turn and bend. Strangely, this isn’t as difficult as I might have thought. Now that they’ve made me strip, what difference does it make?

    Spread ’em.

    Do it, I tell myself. For Sabrina. The sooner I’m out of here, the sooner we’ll be together again.

    When he’s done searching, the thin man puts my clothes in the paper bag. In their place he leaves a green polo shirt, blue jeans, and green flip-flops. He departs while I’m putting on my new uniform. Once dressed, I assume the two men are going to take me somewhere else. But they remain seated.

    Try to get some sleep, the tall one says.

    I have to stay here? I ask.

    No talking! the troll barks.

    I’m not about to argue with a chance to rest, so I lie on my back on the bare mattress, stare at the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, and wonder how long my parents had been planning this.

    THREE

    You will not stand, sit, or talk without permission.

    A hand shakes my shoulder. Wake up.

    I open my eyes. The ceiling light is still on. A man in a black polo shirt whom I haven’t seen before hovers over me.

    Time to go, he says.

    I don’t know what time it is, only that heavy tentacles of sleep are pulling my head back down to the pillow. I close my eyes but instantly feel the hand on my shoulder again, rougher this time. Get up.

    Groggily I try to bat the hand away, but feel him grab my wrist and expertly twist. The next thing I know, I’m rolled onto my side on the bed. His grip tightens and pain shoots through my shoulder, as if he’s trying to pry my arm out of joint.

    I croak through clenched teeth. Okay, okay.

    He backs off slightly and the pain eases. In a practiced tone he recites: Your parents have signed and notarized a consent form allowing Lake Harmony to use restraint whenever necessary. The type and degree of restraint administered shall be at the discretion of the staff. Lake Harmony and its employees will not be held liable for any injury sustained by you during the administration of restraint as it is understood that such injury is the result of willful disobedience on your part. Now get up.

    In my father’s world they call this the CYA (cover your a**) statement. As I slowly get up from the bed, the man keeps my arm behind my back. Part of me wants to resist, but another part of me knows there is no move I can make that he has not seen before.

    "If

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