Sweet Discombobulation!

Ah books! The way you speak to me is magical, however sometimes I feel like you're speaking a different language. Okay, maybe it's not THAT dramatic, but I feel like Never Let Me Go is a fast moving carousel, that likes to switch directions every five seconds, and I'm still standing outside the gate, waiting to be let on by the teenage ticket-taker, too busy reading her tabloid magazine to notice my hand waving paper in her face. Nice image right? I know I'm so proud. So Kathy H. is a "carer" and so far I still have no idea what that means. I know the story begins when she's older, but as of late she's been having many flashbacks to when she was 12, going off on tangents about her years as a Hailsham student. Their traditions and schedules are odd to me, and I find myself wondering if they've ever been out of "school?" To further clarify, here are some thoughts directly from my brain (you're so lucky, I know), "It seems like these kids never really had a life before they started at Hailsham...Do they have families? Did they start "school" at birth? Do they get a summer? Any time off? What is the deal!?!" Stimulating, wasn't it? Back to the point. Kathy describes the guardians, which are more or less teachers at the school. Apparently, Miss Emily is the head guardian and is very intimidating, although she's softspoken. Miss Lucy seems like a more rebellious guardian, perhaps because she speaks about the gallery directly to the students. The gallery is a collection of the "best" creative works from students, gathered 3-4 times a year by "Madame." Kathy's friend Ruth is convinced that Madame is afraid of the students and they set out to discover whether her claim rings true. Apparently it does, because when they approach her, Madame stiffens. Doesn't gasp or shriek. Just freezes and holds her breath. Like she's afraid they're going to brush against her. Kathy (older Kathy) hints at Hailsham's main objective at this point. She says "there are people out there, like Madame, who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you-of how you were brought into this world and why-and who dread the idea of your hand brushing against theirs." It gives more detail of what Hailsham's all about, but still lacks the ultimate epicenter of the purpose of the place. I'm really looking forward to figuring this mystery out. Oh, one more thing. There's this really creepy part where Kathy mentions the woods, and how everyone's afraid of them, who even sob just looking at them at night. There's a story, that once a boy who had a row (fight, for all those who are not as versed in real English as I ;) with his mates (friends) and ran into the woods. Days later, apparently, his body was found tied to a tree, the hands and feet cut off. Gross, right? I'm curious what role the woods will play in Kathy's ultimate story... I must read on!