How long will I be in here?” I asked.
“Varies,” said the guard as he closed the door and locked me in. “Usually until Mrs. Cobrawick thinks you learned your lesson. I hate this job. Try not to lose your mind, girl.”
Those were the last words spoken to me for a very long time.

The guard had given me good advice, which turned out to be nearly impossible to follow.

Author: Gabrielle Zevin