Privilege •H.S•

1. Date of Crime?

"Beatrix!" My mother called me from downstairs. I unwillingly placed my drink down on the sill of the window I stare out of that contains the scenery of the large city of Phonobus. It's beautiful - based on everything I've seen. I don't know what lies outside of the city other than what I have heard. Outside of the city, fields are cultivated and factories are pollutant.

"Yes?" I ask Mother when I reach the lounge room. She sits while staring out of our large window just as I did in my room. When she noticed my presence she turned and sat up to walk over to me. Her smile has always showed the warm welcoming beauty I have become so accustomed to.

"Your father has asked a favor of you from his workplace," She explained. "I have just received the call."

"A favor?" My skepticism never went unnoticed. Father and I don't have the best relationship. I love him as a daughter should love her father, but there is that missing piece that I just can't find when he comes about.

"He thinks it would be best if you join him in the offices of the factory." Mother explained further. My father owns a factory of Nouvers that make automobiles. I don't dare visit or come around, for he has asked me not to. Bewilderment crossed my features about this request. This did not go unnoticed either. "He believes if you spend time with him in the office, it will help with you to become a lawyer."

"By visiting at a factory?"

"By interning at a place filled with Nouvers, Jeminas, and Frants." I couldn't tell if she was okay with this idea or she was just as concerned as a I was until she spoke once more. "This will be good for you, Bea. You're almost eighteen, almost time for you to buy your own Nouver, Isn't that exciting?"

"You sound just like Father." I mumbled.

"What was that?" My mother frowned.

"When shall I start?" I falsely repeated. Her smile grew once again.

"You should go now! Just to get a feel of things before you actually start work." She was almost giddy for the new position I had just received. "You can work usual days from on Monday to Thursday, after school. I'll tell Jeffrey to get the car ready."

I don't know how I feel about this. This isn't the most terrible thing, it is commendable towards the career I wish to hold in the future. But I can't control this gut feeling I have that something terrible will come of this.

****

"Thanks, Jeff." I highfived the family chauffeur after climbing out of the car where he held the door for me. The factory didn't look like the business brochures that lay on my father's desk in his study. In the brochures, there is a picture of my father shaking hands with the governor in front of a tan brick building. What I see is a giant building covered in a black dust substance, almost broken down, with Nouvers walking around behind the gate carrying auto parts from trucks. Visiting this place is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday.

"No prob, Bea." Jeff said almost sarcastically after glancing at the factory and my reaction. Jeff is a sweetheart, although I don't know how he came to work for my father just as I don't know Cynthia's story. I heard Jeff drive off behind me as I walked towards the armed man guarding the gate.

"Are you Miss Antonia?" His gruffly voiced asked before I could speak.

"Yes," I spoke with authority just as Mother says I should. A women always speaks with bravery even in the most uncomfortable situations. I pulled out my identification that says my name, birth date, social class, etc. He observed the card before turning around and nodding to another guard in the tower. I assumed the guard in the tower must have opened the gate, because after the nod the gate made a loud beeping noise to announce it's opening. The guard walked forward with me following.