Incandescent

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ginger and I sit on the steps of the Education room and pick daisies from the patch of grass next to us. She weaves fern leaves into a crown and adds daises to my hair. Picking flowers and staying after Education instead of going home is frowned upon because we are supposed to go home right away but there is no punishment for it unless an Official decides to pick on us. 

Ginger giggles and turns me around to look into a puddle. I can't help but smile at the crown Ginger has made. It is beautiful. She twirls me around and chants, 'Queen Tea, Queen Tea, I bow at your presence."

I look around wearily but with a smile on my face. "Ginger! Shhh! If an Official hears you we are definitely in trouble!"

She covers her mouth but continues to giggle. Her face turns red and she almost falls from trying not to laugh.

We tell jokes as we walk home, holding hands and picking more flowers as we go along. Our Region is filled with plants, trees, and flowers everywhere you turn.

Ginger lives very close to me so when I drop her off at her house, she twirls me one more time, and takes the band out of my hair and my braid falls apart.

I gasp. "Ginger! No!"

She smiles and puts a finger to her lips as if telling me to be quiet. She rolls her eyes and points to my house which is visible from her house.

I shake my head  slightly smiling, but a little nervous. Officials can walk by at any moment. It seems quiet enough today though, nobody in the streets or outside of their houses. I walk quickly toward my house.

"Hey!" a male voice calls out.

I stiffen and hold my breath. According to the law, I must obey they voice and acknowledge it. I slowly turn around.

My stomach turns and it is exactly who I think it is. An Official.

Hes a young Green, olive toned skin, and dark hair like mine. He looks stern.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

I put one hand up to my head, touching my crown and let it trail down my hair. I think my knees are shaking. "uhhh...I....uhhh..." I can't speak!

He walks quickly toward me. "Why is your hair like that?! You are not indoors!" He grabs my hand and pulls me toward an alleyway.

Oh god this is what they do when they are about to beat someone for breaking the rules.

I can't say anything but I just look up at him with pleading eyes and I fold my hands over myself, waiting for the first blow to come.

He grabs my shoulders and pushes me against the wall. I gasp a bit and want to say something but I can't.

He smiles and pushes my chin up gently to meet his eyes. Then he lowers his lips to kiss me between my chest. I immediately want to crumble to the floor.

No. NO. I scream in my head. I want to fight back but I am frozen.

He pushes my feet apart with his shoe. And uses his knee to spread my legs. I squeeze my thighs tight.

"Come on, beautiful, you can't walk around with that flowered crown and not expect this to happen." he says as he kisses my neck. I can feel his grip on my waist get tighter.

I can finally breathe and only a little sob comes out. 

"Shhh...you're a Purple, you know nobody will help you." His green eyes glow as he uses one hand to take off his belt.

I dig my nails into his shirt and just shake my head and I can't believe this is happening to me.

"Tea!" I hear my brother's voice, and I immediately can talk.

"Thyme! Please!" I scream. The Official roughly clamps my mouth shut with his hand.

"What are you doing?!" Thyme yells at the Official and pushes him away from me.

My knees feel like jelly but I run over behind Thyme.

Thyme's hands are balled into fists and he's ready to hit him.

"No! Brother listen to me, if you hit him, you are going to be punished! Or worse! Banished!" I put my hands on his arm.

Thyme takes my hand and he is visibly shaking, leads me inside the house. That's when I start to sob heavily. 

"What happened?" Thyme is pacing the room.

I cannot even speak but I try. "I walked home with Ginger and my hair was down and....and..." And I can't continue so I just start picking the fern leaves and daisies out of my hair.

Thyme kneels down to me and gives me a big giant bear hug. I sigh and hug him back.

'We won't tell Mother or Father about this right?" I ask.

I feel him sigh. "As you wish." he says sadly.

I turn away to go bathe, the only thing I want now, is to fall asleep and avoid Mother before she gets here.