CONFINEMENT

CHAPTER FOUR

   As the day went by, Harrison finally experienced how his public image had turned for the better. People were still, even after multiple days, congratulating him on his newfound position as an Honor. He walked the corridors of the Academy with his back straight and his chin up, greeting everyone around him to look as though he didn't find himself too important. He moved for no one, no, they could move for him.

   He joined his friends in the cafeteria after collecting a book from the library, and sat down proudly next to Lysander who, as usual, had stuffed a three-course meal into his tiny green lunchbox. That was yet another reason for Harrisons fondness of the silly boy with the fire-red and unkept curls, he could never overshine Harrison. None of his friends could really. Theodore always seemed to say something stupid and clearly lacked situational awareness, always opting for having a laugh even when it was uncalled for. Orlando was nice and bright but his confidence scared people off, and more often than not it came back to bite him in the behind. And as for Grace-Octavia and his childhood friend Agnes Sinclair, well, they were girls? Not that he found them less important or anything, he loved his female friends, but that was just how society worked. Sometimes he reminisced the prior years, around the time he was 14 or 15. At that time, his grandfather had made a huge donation to some charity, naturally resulting in his family name once more being brought up in the press. He remembered feeling so small and insignificant, and threatened by one of his former classmates, Hugo John, who was always just a smidge better that Harrison. Former classmate, since he died the following year after pissing off an Official, earning him a beating that resulted in death. The Academy had thrown a huge ceremonial funeral for him, but Harrison couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't that big of a loss anyway.

   Someone tapped his shoulder.

   "Mr. Hawthorne." One of the professors said while making an effort not to look at any of them. "You must present yourself at Principal Gaunt's office, there's a problem at the zoo."

   And so he had rushed through the corridors once more, this time not greeting anybody, his only concern being what the hell had happened. He knocked on the door and got let in straight away. Principal Gaunt had sat at his desk, angerly tapping his finger on the desktop. He had told him that a fight had broken out and that he needed to collect his Saving. "Get things under control. Or else." He had said, which had sent a shiver down Harrisons spine. Principal Gaunt was one of the 12 Council members, so Harrison believed his threat.

   He absolutely refused to wait for his driver to pick him up, instead running as fast as he could through the streets and into the zoo, where three Officials and the zoo keeper were standing in front of the cage Castania was contained in. An angry man was standing in front of them, screaming the poor zoo keepers head of while pointing angry fingers at Castania. The man caught the look of Harrisons stern glare and finally seamed to calm down a bit. Harrison marched over.

   "You need to get a grip on that filthy bitch!" He spat the last word. Harrison nodded once to the Officials and they moved out of the way, finally allowing him to catch a glimpse of his Saving.

   She was sat slumped on the floor, a bored and indifferent look on her swollen face. Her eye was closed and already a little blue from the bridge of her nose to her right cheekbone. Her lip was split where the once faint scar had been and a small cut on her chin still oozed a little blood.

   She had just been minding her own business, attempting to make time pass a little faster, when a fat piece of shit had walked up to her and demanded her to stand up straight. When she refused, he had grabbed her by the collar and pulled her up from her sitting position. Castania had fought for at bit to get out of his grip but it had been futile, and she had spat him right in the eye, resulting in him banging her head against the metal bars, until the Officials had stepped in. And now Harrison was here. Perfect, she thought. Now he would beat her too.