Smile Lines (WIP)

Chapter 4: Camp Dankwood

I curl myself up to fit in the squashy armchair as my room-mates sit down in the chairs around me, relaxing my tense frame as I reach over and bring the steaming mug of tea to my lips and let it slip down my throat. I pop an airpod in and open tiktok, scrolling mindlessly until a certain clip catches my eye.

Bordered in red, a reporter stands outside N10 Downing Street, mic raised to her mouth as she speaks urgently "Our Government has released more information about camp Dankwood." She half shouts over the blustering October winds. I stiffen, sitting up slightly as I wait for her next words "The camp will be situated in a highly technical, specialised facility in the depth of England's wild countryside." She pauses, going on "The facility will be closed off, inaccessible to the general public and all personal belongings will be forbidden."

Foreboding, heavy and cold as a stone settles in the pit of my stomach. I pull my knees up to my chest, staring blankly at the cream wall, the dim match of hope cruelly snubbed in front of my very eyes.

My phone buzzes, cutting through the silence like a knife as I try to divert my attention to it.

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Joel:
You seen it?

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Violet:

mhm, i'm scared.

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Joel:

Don't be. You haven't let slip in public recently?

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I pause, remembering my reaction to Rose's comment in the corridor. The smile that had tugged at my lips and the ringing of laughter through the stifled silence. Tears well up as I stare at the phone.

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Joel:

Vi? You're scaring me? You haven't, right?

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Joel:

right..?

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Violet:
i'm sorry.

read 23:14

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I switch off the phone, slipping into the dorm room where I let the comforting inky blackness of sleep hold me captive, blissfully untroubled by the shadows that haunt my waking hours.

I wake up to the cold claws of anxiety holding me in a chokehold, the hammering of early morning rain on the dorm room windows. I slip out of bed, exhaustion threatening to pull me down despite the night's sleep. Every bone in my body aches, but what's more is the throbbing of my heart.

I slip into class, silently resuming my seat at the back. I keep my head down, velvet hair shielding my face from questioning glances. My mind goes blank the second I even try to put pen to paper, and after a while of bargaining with it, I give up.

Mrs Woolfall approaches, bending down to scan my piteous sentence "You don't seem yourself, Violet." She observed gently. "I'm fine." I snap, a little too harshly. She flinches, reproach in her gaze as she stood back. "Alright. If you ever need someone, you know where I am."

I ignore the flash of guilt, staring down, stonyfaced at my work. Eventually I manage a few messy and disorganized paragraphs, shutting my book with a frustrated snap. I ignore the eyes on me as I pack up, waiting on the bell's sharp ring.

Head down, I powerwalk the corridors, trying to shake off the feelings of dread. A tap on my shoulder stops me in my tracks as I whip around, staring back at the face I didn't want to see. Miss Fellowes's sharp gaze locks into mine. I seem to shrink in terror despite my shoulders levelling those of the stern mistress.

"I think we need to talk." She says smoothly, her voice betraying nothing. I stare back at her icily, unmoving. "I don't like having to ask twice." Her voice was harsh now. Still, I stand, shoulders square. "I don't like being ordered around." I retort stubbornly.

She gasps, her eyebrows shooting halfway up her forehead in surprise "Less of the sass, young lady, come along." She snaps, slamming her high heel against the tiles impatiently. I cock my head to the side slightly. "Suppose I must, your highness." I say, sarcasm laced in every syllable as I follow along.

She leads me into a dingy, dimlit office with an impeccably neat desk and chair set. Another chair is pulled out in front of it, and I don't ask before I take a seat, staring at her coldly. She sits down, opening the laptop that perches on the desktop.

"You've broken the law, Violet." She begun. The dread sets in, and I decide it can't get much worse from here. I've screwed it all up. "I've stomped on a few petty rules, that's all. Alas by accident." I mutter. If she heard me, she ignores it. "The government has these laws in place for a reason. They're vital for an effective economy." She goes on. I roll my eyes. "You must know of Camp Dankwood by now." I sit straight up.

"You can't send me there." I say flatly. Is that amusement glinting in her beady eyes? I crack my knuckles beneath the desk. "That's just it, Violet." She responds smoothly, "I can. I can do anything I want and you can't do anything about it." She held my gaze for a second before continuing "You may send a last message before I confiscate your phone, your cab will be here soon." She says briskly. "Your family are also being tracked down for similar charges."

Panic flares in my chest, imagining Quinn, my sensitive, soft-hearted sister in an asylum like dankwood. "This won't be easy for you, Fellowes." I murmur, shooting a hard glance at her. "Not at all."

----Authors Note----

I poured absolutely everything I have into that chapter and I hope it looks decent from the reader's pov :3