Protecting Grace

Chapter 2

Two

You always see thousands of pictures from people's graduations on line, swarming Facebook streams left, right and centre but when you're there, it seems even more ridiculous. Parents of people you didn't even know started taking pictures of you with their children you've seen perhaps once or twice. It seemed stupid, but I smiled and went along with it. I pulled my robe over my shoulders for what felt like the millionth time I had done today, and Mycelia's parents immediately ran over to me to re-pin it in place, making sure the white fluffy thing that was the Signature University's stupid robes sat nicely on my shoulders. Mycelia's parents were my make shift parents at any family event, always helping me, filling in my parent's place where there absence was noted. I smiled gratefully at Mycelia's Mum.

"Thanks," I whispered to her.

"Your parents would be so proud, Grace, so proud," Mikilia, Mycelia's mother whispered to me, tearing up. "You really are a special young lady, anyway, we're about to go to lunch to celebrate, would you like to join us?"

"I... er... I can't, it's a family thing," I stuttered.

"Nonsense! You're family to us!" Mikilia protested to me, hitting my arm with the force only and African mother could muster. It was true, though, Mikilia and her husband included me in everything when they found out my parents had died only a few months before I met their daughter, and they brought not only myself but also Jack Christmas presents, offered us meals and a place to stay. They even took all of us out for a meal when Jack got his promotion.

Hey, mother won't let you escape this one, Gracie. Mycelia told me and gave me a slight look over her mother's shoulder. Mycelia was a Savant-like myself, and we always preferred speaking telepathically.

No chance of escape?

Is there ever a chance of escape? Mycelia laughed at me.

"That would be lovely then, thank you. I'm just going to use the toilet," I said softly as Mikilia hugged me like she was dying and I was a liferaft.

"Good girl! We need to feed you up, you're awfully skinny," Mikilia said, taking her daughters arm and walking away and Mycelia rolled her eyes at me. I grinned slightly, walking towards the old building which was open for toilet use, reception area and a general shade area from the September heat. The building itself was spectacular; high ceilings with the original mountings and skirting boards, floors polished to an inch of their lives so much that even my worn-sole shoes were clicking on the floor. Wanting desperately to be in silence, I kicked off my shoes, picking them up and walking barefoot across the Grand Hall into the girl's toilets on the other side.

"We were hoping to catch you, Grace," A man said the second I walked into the toilet. Two more followed, standing in front of the door. I was trapped. My heart rate accelerated through the roof and I edged back to the sinks, planning how to escape if they men attacked me. I scanned the one who spoke to me. Judging on the way he was leaning his weight onto his left leg, I would go for the right leg at the knee as it was clearly a sensitive area before knocking him out. Following that, the two security men would go down together, and I would have to knock them unconscious before I flee.

"Who are you?" I asked in fear.

"Your parents had asked us to keep an eye out for you if anything would happen to them," The mention of my parents from a stranger sent a heavy lead weight in my stomach. "Don't worry Grace, we're good people,"

"You've trapped me in the girl's toilets on my graduation day, I wouldn't say you're good people. Look, I just want to pee and then I have a meal to attend, so if you wouldn't mind scooting out, that would be superb," I tried to get them out but the man in front of me smiled slightly.