# Chapter 17
Dionne
The pounding on the door jolted me awake before dawn had fully broken. I sat up with a gasp, my heart racing as the sound echoed through our small room. Beside me, Nora stirred but didn't wake, her small body curling deeper into her blanket. Violet was gone from the room and her bed was nearly arranged.
"Get up!" Margaret's sharp voice cut through the wooden door like a blade.
I scrambled out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as I rushed to open the door. Margaret stood in the hallway, her face pinched with an expression that went beyond her usual stern disapproval. This was something closer to active displeasure, her mouth pressed into a thin line and her eyes cold with barely concealed contempt.
"Good morning, ma'am," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear coiling in my stomach.
