BRIDE ACADEMY

Prologue

Walking out of the shop and on my way home at last I cannot wait to get into my bed and just sleep.

I walk past the street and turn into the left a few more minutes and I’ll be home. The wind blows right threw me and I wrap my coat around me even tighter to try and keep out the cold night air.

I’m about to turn into my street when a hand comes over my face and pulls me back round the corner. My instincts kick in and hit and do everything to get my captor off me but he just tightens his grip on me.

Before I know what’s happening a bag is put over my head and I am put in some sort of vehicle. The bag must have some sort of drug in it because my eyes are starting to drupe and my vision is blaring. Next thing the bag is pulled of my head and I can see now that I’m in the back of a car.

I go to scream but I find that I have no voice. There is a man sitting beside me and he’s watching me.

“What’s taking so long she should be out for the count?”

“Calm Rowan I told you she’s different”

“Well she is thirteen the youngest yet!”

“Yes Mrs Baker should be very pleased”

I try to ask them who they are and what they want with me but I have no voice.

“Go to sleep girly!” the driver shouts

“Yes be a good girl and don’t fight it”

The man beside me goes to touch me but I flinch away from him. My eyelids start to flicker and I try my best to keep them open but to my disappointment they close and I sub come to the darkness.

                              ***********

I open my eyes expecting to be in a cold damp dungeon or maybe even a prison but what I don’t expect a box made out of clear glass. There are no windows only an artificial light that is streaming down in the middle. The four corners are surrounded by four men that appear to be guarding me, as if I could take out four men.

I hear a slam and look around to find a woman standing beside me I wonder how she got in here because I didn’t see anyone come.

“Ah good you’re awake I’m Mrs Baker the head mistress here”

“Where am I?”

“Welcome to bride academy! Eloise come and explain to Anastasia I have a punishment to be seen too”

A girl with bright red hair emerges from the light she send me a weary smile and I give her one back.

“Eloise has been her for two weeks she will explain everything to you and tell you the rules. I warn you now Anastasia do not cross me because I have no problem with punishing you furthermore I have men and if you do not behave you will find out the meaning of punishment”

And just like that she disappears leaving me alone with Eloise.

“I wouldn’t cross her she means what she says”

“I want to go home”

“I know you are only a child but there is no home your parents and uncle are dead I’m very sorry”

“NO NO IT CANNOT BE TRUE! PLEASE PLEASE!”

“I’m very sorry Anastasia I know what you are feeling they killed my family too”

“I’m sorry....what is this place?”

“Bride academy...we have to find husbands. There are three years we have to complete year one is for education, year two we learn how to be the perfect little wives and year three we must a husband..... If you don’t find a husband you’re punished and then repeat the process”

“How old are you?”

“I’m 16 I will be married when I turn 18 and you will be fifteen”

“I will not get married when I am fifteen!”

“The punishment is not worth it.....Mrs Baker was leaving because one of the girls was misbehaving during class she is a second year and was expressing her opinions...Mrs Baker hates opinions.... she holds a lot of power and it’s her we fear she holds our lives in the palm of her hand, her punishments are fine when she is giving them but don’t involve the guards....the guards are brutal I have heard rumours that they raped a few of the girls”

“Eloise what are they going to do to me?”

“Nothing absolutely nothing I will be here for you always....I should probably tell you though they have already...em done a medical check on you”

“What do you mean?”

“They checked everything from your height, blood type to...you know innocence”

“Don’t worry Ana I’m your friend and I’ll look after you”

“Thank you”

“Other than that not all the girls are like us some parents paid for them to go to the academy so not all the girls will be sympathetic”

“How many girls are there?”

“All together around a hundred but in freshman year 12 counting me and you”

“How many were taken?”

“Not many I’m pleased to say”

“Why did they take me?”

“I don’t Mrs Baker says I’m different from the other girls she said you were too”

“Well welcome to the academy!”