Ruby Holler

Dallas and Florida are 13-year-old twins who live at Boxton Creek Home for Children with 11 others. The Home is managed by Mr. and Mrs. Trepid, who set numerous rules. Dallas and Florida have broken every one of them, facing punishment for their actions. The punishments range from extra chores to time in the “thinking corner.” Dallas and Florida have lived at Boxton Creek Home longer than any other children—adults who have attempted to foster them quickly return them, insisting the twins are “trouble.” Dallas and Florida decide one day that they will plan a nighttime escape via freight train.

Ruby Holler lies 20 miles away from Boxton. There, a 60-year-old man complains about his repetitive life to his wife. They contemplate moving while a small, gray bird listens.

At dinner, Dallas and Florida must sit apart from the rest of the children. Florida is reprimanded for waving to a new resident. After dinner, the twins wash dishes and steal a bit of food, which they hide in their room. That night, Florida dreams of their past foster parents, the Hoppers. She awakens upset, and Dallas comforts her by insisting one day they will escape by train.

Dallas is sent to the thinking corner for hitting a window with a ball. His punishment ends when Florida is sent to the corner for smashing some flowers. She thinks of a woman who appeared at the home the other day, imagining the woman was her mother.

The twins are dragged into the office by Mr. and Mrs. Trepid, who say they have an opportunity for Dallas and Florida. The twins are wary. Mr. Trepid shows them travel brochures, telling them a couple is in search of young people to accompany them on two trips during summer vacation—the catch, however, is that the twins would be separated and undertake a separate trip. When Florida asks if they can meet the couple first, Mr. Trepid ushers in an elderly couple named Mr. and Mrs. Morey.

Alone, Florida and Dallas debate whether to go on separate trips with the Moreys or to run away by train. They find the images in the brochures tempting, but it is possible that the Moreys could end up treating them like past foster parents. The twins agree to think about the dilemma overnight.

The Moreys take Dallas and Florida to their home in Ruby Holler—a lush, green place with hills and a creek. Dallas is excited, but Florida suspects that there is some “catch.” She expects the Moreys to treat her and her brother badly at any moment.

The twins are given soft beds in a spacious loft and a delicious dinner. Florida warns Dallas not to become comfortable as they might need to run away at any moment. She fears the Moreys are like the witch in the story “Hansel and Gretel,” fattening them up to be eaten one day.

As the Moreys goes to bed, Tiller laments growing old. He gazes out the window, thinking they should return the twins to Boxton Creek Home and take the two trips with one another instead.

Dallas thinks about how many of his classmates at school look like their parents and wonders who he himself looks like. He daydreams about their mother, though Florida tries to dissuade him.

Florida finds a small bird’s egg and shows it to Dallas. She wants to tend the egg so that it will hatch but she accidentally breaks the shell. The yellow goo inside makes Florida recall an incident when she was three and slapped for smashing an egg.

Florida throws the remaining egg goo at the wall of the loft.

Tiller wants Sairy, his wife, to be the one to accompany him on the river trip. Sairy is happy that Dallas and Florida are there and suggests Tiller ask Florida to help him get the boat ready. Tiller agrees but thinks about returning the twins to the Boxton Creek Home.

Tiller shows Florida the boat that must be repaired before they can leave on the trip. Florida is dismayed, but cheers up when Tiller says she will earn $5 per hour for her work. Meanwhile, Sairy tells Dallas that they will need to buy new supplies for their trip. Dallas is excited at the thought of items never owned by anyone previously.

Florida wants to run away by train immediately, but Dallas convinces her it is smarter to wait as they can continue to increase their earnings each day. After dinner, Dallas wants to assist with the chores, but Tiller grows frustrated when he loses the bucket by dropping it into the well. Sairy tells Tiller to be patient.

The next day, Tiller and Florida work on the boat. Though Florida’s work is unskilled, Tiller assures her it is not. He tells her a story from his childhood involving a chore that went awry; Florida is surprised that Tiller’s father did not punish him physically.

Sairy complements Dallas on the list of trip supplies he has made; Dallas is unaccustomed to praise. Sairy tells him they will search for a red-tailed rocking bird on the trip.

Dallas and Florida continue to hide food in their room though they are never hungry. At dinner, they ask Sairy and Tiller about their interest in cooking and their children.

Dallas and Florida notice wooden birds and boats on the fireplace mantle. They are certain they will be punished if they touch them, but Sairy encourages them to handle them. Neither twin is reprimanded when each accidentally breaks pieces of the wood. Sairy says she and Tiller whittled the birds and boats themselves. That evening, she asks Tiller to show the twins how to whittle.

Dallas wonders how Sairy was able to obtain a passport for him as he does not have a birth certificate. Sairy had indicated that she would contact Mr. Trepid. A brief scene depicts two men exchanging something outside of Boxton Creek Home.

Tiller and Sairy discuss how crude the items that Dallas and Florida whittled were. Sairy explains that the twins are rumored to be trouble and they debate whether or not to take them on their respective trips.

Meanwhile, in the loft, Dallas and Florida feel badly about leaving via train after the efforts the Moreys have put into preparing for the trips. Each of the twins has strange dreams that night.