FIVE

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------- CASTINE -------

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------- CASTINE -------

It's been sixteen days since my freedom was stolen from me. Sixteen days since I was separated from my brother. Sixteen days of pure misery. During the day, I play along. I wear their stupid, white uniform dresses, eat their disgusting oatmeal, attend their dumb obedience classes for girls. At night, I cry for Valas. This is the first time in my life that we've been separated. I miss him so much it physically hurts.

It's hard to pretend to be something I'm not. To act like I can't read and to give respect to these arrogant, entitled assholes who have the nerve to call themselves good people. They don't deserve my respect. I curtsey to them and call them 'Mr.' and smile. They seem genuinely pleased with my behavior but the joke's on them. On the inside, I am seething with anger and hate. I want to watch them burn. All of them.

Every time I see Sebastian I have to fight with everything inside of me not to spit at him or cuss him out, or tackle him to the ground and beat the shit out of him. I want to do all of these things. But I can't. I have to get back to Valas. I need to get myself out of the facility.

My stupid bracelet buzzes, reminding me that I have five more minutes of quiet time before my next class and relief floods through me. Every girl is supposed to be calm and quiet and gentle. I am none of these things, so they make me sit in complete silence for an entire fucking hour every day. If I so much as sigh too loudly I get shocked.

I'm supposed to reflect on my own actions and attitude during quiet time but, really, I just envision destroying the facility for an entire hour. Lighting it on fire, trapping Sebastian inside, freeing all the other girls. The thought brings me peace, even if I know it will probably never happen.

When the hour is finally up, I let out a soft sigh before standing and leaving the quiet room. As I walk to my next class I survey the halls, searching for anything that could be an escape route- a door that leads out to the gardens or a gap in the iron fence wide enough for me to squeeze through. I search these halls every day. So far, I've found nothing. The men that run the city are thorough. I'll give them that.

I stop in front of the door to the classroom, wondering how long I would have before someone came looking for me. Would I have enough time to escape? I want to try, but if Sebastian found me I'd probably never have the opportunity to sneak away again. I have to wait until he trusts that their brainwashing is sticking before I make a run for it. I'm only going to get one chance to escape, and I have to make sure it's the right one.

So, I slip inside the classroom and our instructor, Professor Harrison nods to me as I curtsey to me. He's a short, fat man with thinning brown hair and spectacles perched atop his bulbous nose. "Good morning, Castine," he greets dryly.

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