Desperado: A Holes Fanfiction

Ty

I purposely kept my dream about Sam's sister and Kate Barlow's baby to myself. No one would believe me, not even Hector. Stanley would think I'm crazy, if he doesn't already. The rest of the D-Tent is giving me the silent treatment, thanks to Squid's insidious jealousy. And Lou can't be trusted. Not anymore, anyway.

She knew what she was doing with Mr. Sir and Stanley that day in her cottage. She wanted to hurt me for what I said about her grandfather, but, she'd never hurt me directly and Hector wasn't around. So, she tested me by threatening Stanley instead.

"You think I don't know what goes on around here," she said to me once Stanley scurried out the front door, "I see how you look him. Don't test me."

But that's all it was, a threat. Lou is cruel, not stupid. For all she knows, the Yelnats family would take her straight to court for tearing up their sweet Stanley's face. And she wouldn't dare hit me. She needs me to find that buried treasure she thinks is out there on the old lake bed. Aside from that, I've taken so many beatings, hardly anything, outside of the nightmares, hurts me anymore.

Over dinner one night, I let it slip that I knew she wasn't close to her own mother, like me. I wanted to kick myself for talking too much.

"How did you know that?" she asked me slowly. Her eyes narrowed as she stared me down.

"Just a guess," I shrugged without looking up from my plate.

She leaned back in her chair and stared at me hard, "You're one of them gifted gals, ain't you? Don't deny it. I've done my research as well, Miss Zeroni." Lou chuckled to herself before stuffing a forkful of collards into her mouth and shot me a friendly wink, "Don't worry. It will be our little secret."

I don't know much about where we come from, but I do know my grandmother told fortunes and performed hexes for the desperate when she was strapped for cash, before she was sent off to the loony bin. Mom would grip me and Hector's little wrists until our hands turned blue as she made us promise not to do the same.

"You hear me?" she'd speak through her teeth, holding on to every word, "That's witchcraft! Evil!"

I'd lie just so she would let me go. I didn't blame her for the rule. She was protecting us. But some things can't always be kept secret. Some things are meant to be known in order to keep us safe from the world and its tricks.

One day, at the park, a group of older kids were picking on Hector while mom was off on one of her "errands". One of them pushed Hector face down into the sandbox while another kicked sand in his eyes. I held out my hand, fingers extended and chanted in gibberish to scare them away. I wasn't performing a real hex, just mimicking my grandma's erratic behavior. Before I could finish, I felt my mother yank my elbow from behind, hard enough for me to yelp. She beat me senseless, that day, in front of everyone. I hated her for it.

She yelled at me in between lashes while Hector begged for her to stop, "I'll have you put away, just like her. Is that what you want?" I just took it. My brother was worth every beating.

It started with little things. Lou would have me run up to Mr. Sir and rub his shoulder to find out if he was still smoking again; Then she'd ask me to grab Pendanski's favorite hat to find out what really goes on out there on the lake bed all day; And then eventually the campers: Who's taking extra portions at breakfast? Who broke the rec room window? Who's gambling shower tokens? What happened with Barfbag?

That was my least favorite request. When we first got the call, I figured he'd stepped on the rattlesnake by mistake because he was an idiot. I brushed his forehead with the back of my hand and saw nothing but darkness as his teary eyes stared into mine, pleading for me to let him die. That feeling alone was enough to make me faint right there at his bedside. I woke up in the infirmary with Squid at my side, holding my hand. Barfbag was already gone to the hospital.